n'~    ^ 


^"■J 


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JAN  22  1952 


STUDl^SfiJCAi  8i^ 


IN   THE 


Book  of  Acts. 


BY 


ROBERT    E.    SPEER. 


Eighth  Thousand. 


New  York : 

The  International   Committee  of 

Young  Men's  Christian 

Associations. 


(25-I-P46-3-9S.) 


COPYRIGHTED  1892 

BY 

THE    INTERNATIONAL    COMMITTEE, 

YOUiNj   MEN'S   CHRISTIAN    ASSOCIATIONS. 


No.     312. 


For  the  list  of  publications  in  the  "  College  Series,'* 
see  last  pages. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

I.  Authorship  and  Authenticity  8 

II.  Who  was  Luke? 20 

III.  When  was  the  Book  Written?    .  28 

IV.  Where  was  the  Book  Published?  31 

V.  To  Whom  Dedicated? 32 

VI.  For  Whom  was  the  Book  Written  ?  36 

VII.  What  WAS  the  Design  OF  the  Book?  38 

VIII.  The  Title  of  the  Book 45 

IX.  The  Source  OF  Luke's  Information  47 

X.  The  Credibility  of  the  Book    .    .  50 

XI.  Language,  Style,  and  Text    .  59 

XII.  Relation  of  the  Acts  to  the  Gos- 

pels    60 

XIII.  Relation  of  the  Acts  to  the  Epis- 

tles     .           66 

XIV.  The  Chronology  of  the  Acts  .    .  75 

XV.  The  Geography 78 

XVI.  Some  Summaries 81 

XVII.  The  Substance  of  the  Chapters  .  87 

XVIII.  The  Characters  of  the  Acts    .    .  88 
I.     Simon  Peter 88 


Barnabas 100 

Stephen 103 

Apollos 109 

Aqiiila  and  Priscilla     .    .        .    .    .110 


6.  Jantes   ....        

7.  The  other  Apostles 

8.  Philip 

9.  Some  Missionary  Plelpers    .    .    .    . 

10.  Civil  arid  Political  Officials  .    .    .    . 

11.  Minor  Characters 

12.  Paid 

a.  His  Life 

b.  His  Speeches 

c.  The  Teaching  of  his  Speeches 

d.  His  Epistles 

XIX.  The  Teaching  of  the  Acts  .    .    .    . 

XX.  Analysis  of  the  Book       

XXL     Some  Other  Phases  of  the  Book  . 


PAGE^ 

13 

17 
17 


i» 

18 

[29 

[30 

'33 

^35 
[44 

[49 


^Qgge3tion3. 


1.  The  importance  of  a  thorough  study 
of  the  Book  of  Acts  can  be  understood  by 
those  only  who  have  undertaken  such  a 
study.  All  others  are  losers  by  neglect. 
When  they  have  begun  such  a  study,  they 
will  be  surprised  that  they  have  delayed  so 
long. 

2.  These  outlines  are  designed  to  help 
the  student  in  his  work.  The  end  of  his 
work  should  be  a  complete  mastery  of  the 
Book.  These  studies  will  indicate  the  direc- 
tions of  his  work.  They  can  not  do  his 
work  for  him. 

3.  If  the  class  has  time  for  ten  lessons, 
study  II.,  VII.,  X.,  XII.,  XIII.,  XVII., 
XVIIL,  2,  XX.,  XXI.  If  there  is  time 
for  twenty  lessons,  study,  in  addition  to 
the  preceding.  III.,  IV.,  V.,  VI.,  XVIII., 
3,  4,  5,  XIX.  For  thirty  lessons,  take  also 
I.,  VIII.,  XL,  XV.,  XVI.,  XVIIL,  6,  7,  8, 


9-  For  forty  lessons,  include  XIV.,  XVIII. , 
I.  The  full  course  will  furnish  material 
for  at  least  fifty  lessons.  The  lives  of 
Peter  and  Paul  can  be  readily  separated 
from  the  rest  of  the  course  and  studied  by 
themselves. 

4.  Become  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 
Book.  Read  it  through  frequently.  In- 
stead of  taking  XVII.  as  a  single  lesson, 
distribute  it,  mastering  one  or  two  chapters 
each  time.  Begin  this  at  the  outset,  and 
review  constantly. 

5.  Look  up  each  reference  and  study 
it,  bearing  in  mind  the  special  thought  of 
which  the  text  was  cited  as  illustration. 
Frequently  the  proofs  are  partial.  In  such 
cases  add  others  from  your  own  study. 

6.  Confine  the  study  of  each  hour  to 
the  special  subject  assigned  for  the  lesson. 
Defer  other  questions,  especially  unimport- 
ant side  issues,  until  the  end  of  the  lesson, 
or  until  some  special  time,  when  all  that 
have  accumulated  can  be  taken  up  to- 
gether. 

7.  The  class  should  have  within  reach 
a  good  commentary, —  Gloag,  Hackett,  or 


Lumby,  in  the  Cainbridge  Bible  Series. 
The  careful  Greek  scholar  will  find  the 
former  two  and  Lechler's  Apostolic  and 
Post-Apostolic  Times  helpful.  The  English 
student  will  prefer  Lumby.  McClintock 
and  Strong's  Encyclopedia  of  the  Bible, 
which  should  be  in  every  good  library,  will 
furnish  nearly  all  needed  information.  This 
course,  however,  must  be  in  the  Book  of 
Acts.  Other  books  must  not  take  its 
place. 

8.  Begin,  continue,  and  end  all  your 
study  in  prayer.  Be  willing  to  change  your 
life,  and  to  live  as  the  study  of  the  Book 
may  give  you  light.  Study  to  become  bet- 
ter acquainted  with  Christ,  rather  than  to 
satisfy  curiosity  or  to  acquire  knowledge. 


STUDIES    IN    THE    ACTS    OF   THE 
APOSTLES. 


I.     Authorship  and  Authenticity. 

Not  until  the  time  of  Photius  in  the  ninth  centur)- 
was  any  tnention  made  of  any  other  writer  than 
Luke.  Photius  said,  "  Some  believe  the  writer 
to  be  Clement  of  Rome,  some  Barnabas,  and 
others  Luke  the  Evangelist,"  an  assertion  un- 
supported by  the  Christian  Fathers.  Photius 
himself  agreed  in  the  common  opinion  that 
Luke  wrote  it. 

I.       The  testimony  of  tradition, 
a.    Heresy. 

The  Marcionites,  Manicheans,  Severians, 
and  Ebionites  rejected  the  authority  of  the 
Acts  because  it  contradicted  their  peculiar 
views.  They  admitted,  without  question, 
the  source  from  which  their  opponents 
claimed  to  receive  it.  Under  such  circum- 
stances, their  rejection  of  the  book  be- 
comes a  testimony  to  its  genuineness. 
(See  Bible  dictionary  for  definition  of 
these  sects.) 

Basilides,  one  of  the  earliest  known 
gnostics,  who  lived  at  Alexandria  about 


I20,  assumed  for  himself  and  his  son 
Isidore  the  title  of  pupils  of  the  Apostle 
Matthias.  The  Apostolate  of  Matthias  is 
mentioned  only  in  the  Acts,  The  circula- 
tion of  that  book  is  therefore  implied. 

The  Fathers. 

Polycarp,  80  to  155,  evidently  quotes 
Acts  ii.  24,  in  his  words  "whom  God  hath 
awakened,  having  loosed  the  (birth)  pains 
of  Hades." 

Clement  of  Rome,  30  to  100.  His  first 
Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  is  the  earliest 
undisputed  document  of  the  Apostolic  age. 
In  chapter  xviii.,  he  combines  I.  Samuel 
xiii.  14  with  Psalm  Ixxxix.  20,  in  the  words, 
"  I  have  found  a  man  after  my  own  heart, 
David,  son  of  Jesse,  and  I  have  anointed 
him  with  eternal  oil."  Just  as  in  Acts 
xiii.  22.  In  chapter  ii.  are  the  words, 
"  Giving  more  willingly  than  receiving." 
Compare  Acts  xx.  35.  Doubtless  these 
are  allusions  rather  than  quotations ;  but 
it  was  not  the  custom  of  the  Fathers  to 
cite  the  name  of  the  writer,  or  to  quote 
fully  or  literally.  The  quotations  were 
well  known. 

Ignatius.  In  his  Epistles  to  the  Smyr- 
naeans,  chapter  iii.,  are  the  words,  "  He 
ate  and  drank  with  them."  Compare 
Acts  X.  41. 

In  Acta  Martyri  Ignatii,  written  1 1 5  at 
the  latest,  chapter  v.,  are  the  words,  "  That 


lO 


when  Puteoli  was  pointed  out  to  him  he 
hastened  to  go  forth,  wishing  to  follow 
the  traces  of  the  Apostle  Paul."  Compare 
Acts  xxviii.  1 3. 

Irenaeus,  Bishop  of  Lyons  in  178.  He 
had  been  intimate  with  those  who  saw  the 
Apostles,  and  says  distinctly  that  Luke 
was  the  author  of  the  Acts.  Quotes 
often,  and  in  one  place  gives  a  distinct 
summary  of  the  last  twelve  chapters. 

Clement  of  Alexandria,  190.  He  not 
only  speaks  of  Luke  as  having  composed 
the  Acts,  but  wrote  a  commentary  on  it. 

Tertullian,  200.  He  quotes  Acts  re- 
peatedly, and  names  Luke  as  the  author 
in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  evident  that 
he  merely  followed  in  this  the  universal 
opinion  of  the  age. 

Eusebius,  325,  Bishop  of  Caesarea,  the 
friend  of  Constantine  and  the  father  of 
church  history.  He  places  the  Acts 
among  the  uncontested  books,  and  quotes 
it  throughout  his  notices  of  the  apostolic 
age  as  sacred  Scripture,  and  says  :  "  Luke, 
a  native  of  Antioch,  by  profession  a  physi- 
cian, was  mostly  Paul's  companion,  though 
he  associated  not  a  little  with  the  other 
Apostles.  He  has  left  us  examples  of  the 
art  of  healing  souls,  which  he  acquired 
from  the  Apostles,  in  two  divinely  inspired 
books, —  first,  in  the  Gospel  which  he  tes- 
tifies to  have  written  according  to  what 
eye  witnesses  and  ministers  of  the  word 


II 


delivered  to  him  from  the  beginning,  all 
of  which,  also,  he  says  that  he  investi- 
gated from  the  first ;  and  secondly,  in  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles,  which  he  composed, 
not  from  report  as  in  the  other  case,  but 
according  to  his  own  personal  observa- 
tion." 

Chrysostom,  347  to  407.  There  is  an 
unbroken  line  of  testimony  to  him,  though 
he  says  that  the  book  was  neglected  in  his 
day  at  Constantinople,  which  helps  to  ex- 
plain the  remark  of  Photius. 

Constantine  believed  that  Luke  wrote 
it,  and  defended  this  position  by  a  refer- 
ence to  the  first  words  of  the  Acts,  and  to 
its  subject  matter  as  a  continuance  and 
completion  of  the  Gospel. 

The  Testaments  of  the  Twelve  Patriarchs. 

This  was  the  production  of  some  Jewish 
Christian,  desirous  of  bringing  his  fellow 
countrymen  to  Christ.  He  represents 
Jacob's  twelve  sons  as  speaking  on  their 
death  beds,  and  assigns  to  each  a  pro- 
phetic discourse,  depicting  the  future  lot 
of  their  people,  and  the  blessings  to  be 
conferred  by  the  Gospel.  It  dates  at  the 
beginning  of  the  second  or  at  the  end  of 
the  first  century,  for  it  alludes  to  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem  by  Titus  in  70,  but 
not  to  the  second  destruction  by  Adrian  in 
135.  It  contains  many  quotations  from 
the  Evangelists,  and  says :    "  In   the  last 


12 


days,  said  Benjamin  to  his  sons,  there 
shall  spring  from  my  race  a  ruler,  accord- 
ing to  the  Lord,  who,  after  having  heard 
His  voice,  shall  spread  new  light  among 
the  heathen,  and  shall  abide  in  the  syna- 
gogues of  the  heathen  to  the  end  of  the 
ages,  and  shall  be  in  the  mouth  of  their 
chiefs  as  a  pleasant  song.  His  work  and 
his  word  shall  be  written  in  the  holy 
books."  Paul  was  of  the  tribe  of  Ben- 
jamin. Apparently,  the  Acts  was  already 
reckoned  among  the  holy  books. 

d.    Other  testimony. 

Epistle  of  the  churches  of  Lyons  and 
Vienne.  Speaking  of  the  martyrs  in  the 
persecution  under  Marcus  Aurelius,  i6i 
to  1 80,  it  says:  "  They  prayed  for  those 
who  inflicted  terrible  tortures,  as  did 
Stephen,  the  perfect  martyr,  '  Lord,  lay 
not  this  sin  to  their  charge.'  So  he 
prayed  for  those  who  stoned  him."  The 
word  martyr  in  this  special  sense  is  first 
used  by  Paul  in  a  speech  in  the  Acts. 
The  Bishop  of  Lyons  in  167  was  Pothinus, 
formerly  a  disciple  of  Polycarp.  The  Epis- 
tle was  sent  from  Gaul  to  Rome.  It  is, 
therefore,  a  witness  to  the  familiar  knowl- 
edge of  the  Acts  in  Asia  Minor,  Gaul,  and 
Italy. 

Muratorian  Canon,  170.  Contains  a  list 
of  Books  read  in  the  churches  in  the  time 
of  Pius  I.,  Bishop  of  Rome  in  the  second 


13 

century.  It  says:  "The  Acts  of  all  the 
Apostles  were  written  in  a  single  book  ad- 
dressed by  Luke  to  the  most  excellent 
Theophilus.  It  comprises  an  account  of 
events  which  occurred  within  his  own  per- 
sonal knowledge,  as  is  shown  plainly  by 
the  omission  of  all  notice  of  the  martyr- 
dom of  Peter  and  of  Paul's  departure 
from  Rome  to  Spain." 

2.       The  same   wriUr   turoie    Acts   and    the    third 
Gospel. 

a.  The  prologues. 

The  two  Books  are  dedicated  to  the 
same  man.  The  writer  of  Acts  introduces 
his  work  as  a  second  part  or  continuation 
of  a  previous  history.  What  Jesus  began 
to  do  and  teach  in  the  Gospel  He  went  on 
to  do  and  teach  in  the  Acts. 

b.  The  unity  of  system  in  the  two  Books. 

Notice  their  fullness  in  peculiar  or  spe- 
cially original  parts  where  Luke  has  special 
means  of  knowing.  First,  notice  Luke  i., 
ii.,  ix.  51  — xix.  28.  The  incidents  which 
the  other  evangelists  do  not  contain  are 
given  with  "  singular  vividness  of  coloring 
and  minuteness  of  detail."  Do  you  notice 
a  law  of  parsimony  as  shown  in  the  avoid- 
ance of  repetitions  ?  Luke  omits  Mark  v. 
6,  a  visit  to  Nazareth  during  the  Lord's 
later  ministry  in  Galilee.  He  gives  an 
earlier   one,  Luke   iv.    16-30.     Note  also 


14 


the  omission  of  the  story  of  the  healing 
of  the  dumb  man,  Mark  vii.  31-37.  A 
similar  transaction  is  spoken  of  in  Luke 
xi.  14.  Luke  omits  the  miracle  of  the 
barren  fig  tree  (Mark  xi.  12-21),  but  he 
relates  the  parable  (Luke  xii.  6-9).  He 
omits  the  story  of  the  anointing  of  the 
Lord  at  Bethany,  but  includes  the  story 
of  the  other  anointing.  Luke  vii.  36-50. 
He  omits  the  second  feeding  of  the  mul- 
titude. Get  the  details  of  the  two  feedings 
clearly  in  mind. 

Secondly,  this  same  trait  is  apparent  in 
the  Book  of  Acts.  The  writer  omits  the 
experiences  related  in  H,  Cor.  xi.  23-30; 
yet  he  records  Paul's  speech  and  the  par- 
tial allusion  to  these  trials  in  Acts  xx.  19. 
So,  also,  he  omits  any  record  of  the  work 
done  in  Macedonia  shortly  before  Paul 
wrote  the  Second  Epistle  to  the  Corinth- 
ians, in  which  its  extent  is  noted.  It  is 
barely  indicated  by  a  few  pregnant  words. 
Acts  xx.  2. 

c.    Unity  of  style. 

(I.)  Verbs  compounded  with  truK  Such 
verbs  are  found  in  Matthew  three  times, 
Mark  five,  John  three,  Luke  twenty-four, 
Acts  fifty-one. 

aTras  occurs  frequently  in  Acts  and 
Luke ;  in  all  others  nine  limes.    . 


15 


iropeieadaL  occurs  in  Luke  forty-nine 
times,  in  Acts,  thirty-eight ;  rarely  else- 
where. 

lepova-aXrjfji  in  preference  to  lepovao- 
Xu/xa  as  the  name  of  Jerusalem  occurs 
in  both. 

Credner  gives  sixty-five  idioms  pe- 
culiar to  Acts  and  the  third  Gospel. 
Of  these  he  says,  "These  very  num- 
erous peculiarities  attest  with  cer- 
tainty the  genuineness  of  the  whole 
work,  Gospel  and  Acts,  in  its  present 
form." 

This  unity  of  style  is  observable 
also  in  the  use  of  the  characteristic 
Pauline  word  xdpts,  which  does  not 
occur  at  all  in  Matthew  and  Mark, 
and  only  three  times  in  John.  John  i. 
14,  16,  17.  It  occurs  in  Luke  eight 
times,  and  in  Acts  eighteen  times. 

The  verb  x°^P''-t^l^^'-  occurs  in  Luke 
twice,  Acts  three  times,  often  in  Paul, 
but  nowhere  else  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. 
(II.)     The  classical  style. 

(III.)  Tenderness  of  sympathy  in  both 
feeling  for  the  poor  and  suffering,  praise 
of  almsgiving,  and  declaration  of  the  free- 
dom of  the  Gospel.     Find  proofs  of  this- 

(IV.)  Credner:  "The  Acts  of  the  Apos- 
tles describes  itself  as  a  continuation  of 
the  third  Gospel ;    and   the  common   ob- 


i6 


ject  of  both  writings,  the  common  peculi- 
arities of  language  and  style,  the  common 
building  up  of  doctrine  on  Pauline  princi- 
ples and  foundation,  the  common  striving 
after  exactness  .  .  .  prove  irrefragably  that 
the  author  of  the  third  Gospel,  the  physi- 
cian Luke,  must  on  no  account  be  separ- 
ated from  the  Author  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles." 

Renan :  "  One  thing  beyond  all  doubt 
is  that  the  Acts  have  the  same  author  as 
the  third  Gospel,  and  are  a  continuation 
of  that  Gospel.  The  prefaces  that  are 
written  at  the  beginning  of  both,  the  dedi- 
cation of  each  to  Theophilus,  the  perfect 
resemblance  in  style  and  in  ideas,  furnish 
in  this  regard  abundant  proofs." 

d.    Unity  of  doctrine. 

Both  are  Pauline. 
Gospel. 

(I.)      Tradition. 

Irenasus  says,  "  Luke,  the  follower 
of  Paul,  set  down  in  a  book  the  Gos- 
pel which  he  (Paul)  used  to  preach." 

(II.)    Traces. 

Compare  — 
Luke  iv.  22  :  Col.  iv.  6. 
Luke  vi.  36:    IL  Cor.  i.  3. 
Luke  vi.  39:    Rom.  ii.  ic). 
Luke  xxii.  19,  20 :   L  Cor.  xi.  23-29. 
(ni.)  The  connection  between  the  Pas 
sion  and  the  Resurrection. 


17 

Luke  xxiv.  7,  26,  46 :  I.  Cor.  xv.  3,  4. 
I.  Thess.  iv.  14:   Phil.  iii.  10. 

(IV.)   Attention  to  sinners  in  each. 

(V.)     Universality  and  gratuitousness  of 
the  Gospel. 

Luke  iii.  6;  iv.  16-30;  Col.  i.  23; 
II.  Cor.  V.  19. 

Acts. 

All  are  agreed  upon  the  Pauline 
character  of  the  Acts.  This  has  even 
been  made  the  basis  of  an  impeach- 
ment of  its  truth. 


3.  If  the  third  Gospel  and  the  Book  of  Acts  were 
written  by  the  same  man,  do  we  knoiv  loho  it 
could  have  been,  apart  from  the  testimony  of 
tradition  ? 

a.  The  writer  was  an  immediate  disciple  of 
the  Apostles.  I^uke  i.  2.  Renan  calls  him  a 
Christian  of  the  second  Apostolic  generation. 
He  was  not  personally  present  at,  or  acquainted 
with,  the  early  church,  for  he  omits  much  that 
would  be  of  interest,  and  gives  only  the  main 
necessary  outlines. 

b.  He  was  a  Gentile  Christian.  A  Jewish 
Christian  would  probably  not  have  spoken  of 
the  elders  "of  the  Jews"  (Luke  vii.  3),  or  of  a 
city  "of  the  Jews"  (Luke  xxiii.  51).  Other 
touches  which  indicate  his  Gentile  character 
are  Luke  i.  26;  iv.  31  ;  viii.  26;  Acts  i.  19. 


c.  He  was  a  believer  belonging  to  the  school 
of  Paul. 

(i.)      Universality. 

Luke  iii.  4-6 ;    Rom.  iii.  29  ;    Gal. 
iii.  14. 
(ri.)    Account  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Luke  xxii.  17-20;  L  Cor.  xi.  23-29. 

d.  He  was  one  of  Paul's  fellow  laborers,  for 
he  must  be  speaking  of  himself  when  the  first 
person  plural  occurs  in  the  Acts  xvi.  10,  1 1. 
He  cannot  be  one  of  Paul's  fellow  laborers 
mentioned  in  the  Acts,  for  he  always  speaks  of 
himself  anonymously. 

e.  He  must  have  been  a  man  of  culture. 

(I.)  The  prologue  of  the  Gospel  and 
the  dedication  of  it  and  the  Acts  to  The- 
ophilus  indicate  it.  This  was  a  Greek  cus- 
tom, although  Josephus  does  dedicate  one 
of  his  writings  to    Epaphroditus. 

(ir.)    The  classic  style. 

(III.)  The  historical  taste  and  delicacy 
of  mind. 

f.  These  features  do  not  belong  to  — 

(I.)      Barnabas,  for  he  was  a  Levite. 

(II.)  Silas,  for  he  belonged  to  the  primi- 
tive church  at  Jerusalem. 

(in.)  Timothy,  for  he  was  a  young  Lyca- 
onian,  possibly  without  culture.  See  H. 
Tim.  i.  6-8  ;  L  Cor.  xvi.  10,  ir. 

(IV.  Moreover,  Silas,  Timothy,  and  Bar- 
nabas were  all  with  Paul  before  the  "  we  " 


19 

begins ;  they  were  not  with  him  when  the 
"  we  "  is  used ;  they  were  with  him  when 
the  writer  says  "  they." 

(v.)  Titus,  for  like  reasons.  He  was 
not  at  Troas  when  the  writer  uses  "we." 
11.  Cor.  ii.  12,  13. 

,    They  do  apply  to  Luke. 

(I.)  Paul  ranks  him  among  the  Chris- 
tians of  Greek  origin.     Col.  iv.  14. 

(ir.)  He  assigns  him  a  distinguished 
place  among  his  disciples  and  fellow  work- 
ers,    n.  Cor.  viii.  iS,  19. 

(ill.)  The  title  of  physician  implies  sci- 
entific and  literary  culture  probably  above 
that  of  the  other  disciples  and  helpers. 

So  Renan  declares :  "  I  persist  in  be- 
lieving that  the  last  redactor  of  the  Acts 
is  truly  the  disciple  of  Paul,  who  says 
'we'  in  the  last  chapters.  And  we  think 
that  the  author  of  the  third  Gospel  and 
the  Acts  is  assuredly  Luke,  disciple  of 
Paul." 


20 


II.     Who  was  Luke? 

Named  only  three  times  in  the  Bible,  never  by 
himself.  Col.  iv.  14;  Philemon  24;  II.  Tim. 
iv.  II. 

1.  From  Col.  iv.  11,  14,  we  may  infer  that  he  was 
a  Gentile. 

Paul  does  not  include  him  among  those  of 
the  circumcision.  Eusebius  and  Jerome  say 
hd  was  a  Syrian  of  Antioch,  explaining  the  in- 
timate knowledge  he  shows  about  the  condition 
and  teachers  of  that  church.  Acts  vi.  5  speaks 
of  Nicholas  of  A/itioch,  without  mentioning  the 
place  of  any  of  the  six  other  deacons.  Mr. 
Smith,  of  Jordanhill,  mentions  that,  of  the 
eight  accounts  of  the  Russian  Campaign,  only 
the  two  Scotch  authors,  Scott  and  Alison,  state 
that  General  Barclay  de  Tolly  was  of  Scotch 
extraction.  Some  of  Luke's  special  informa- 
tion about  the  Herods  (Luke  viii.  3 ;  xxiii.  8, 
II,  12,  15;  Acts.  xii.  I,  6,  II,  19-21)  may  have 
been  derived  from  Manaen,  the  foster  brother 
of  Antipas  of  Antioch.     Acts  xiii.  i. 

2.  He  may  have  been  a  proselyte  of  the  gate,  a  Gen- 
tile who  joined  in  Jewish  worship  and  recognized 
the  Jewish  lata,  but  was  not  circnmciscd. 

a.  Luke  says  "clay  and  night  "  (Acts  ix.  24), 
whereas,  when  he  is  reporting  the  speeches  of 
Paul  (Acts  XX.  31  ;  xxvi.  7), —  like  Paul  himself 
in  I.  Thess.  iii.  10,  II.  Thess.  iii.  8,  I.  Tim.  v.  5, 
—  he  always  says  "  night  and  day,"  in  accord- 


21 

ance  with  the  Jewish  notion  that  the  night 
preceded  the  day. 

b.    Notice  Acts  i.  19. 

(-.  His  acquaintance  with  Jewish  opinions 
and  customs.     Acts  iii.  i  ;  v.  6. 

d.    His  knowledge  of  the  Septuagint. 

77ie  date  of  his  conversion  is  Jincertain. 

He  was  not  one  of  the  Seventy,  as  Epipha- 
nius  suggests. 

Nor  one  of  the  two  in  Luke  xxiv.  13,  as 
Theophilus  tliinks. 

Nor  one  of  the  Greeks  in  John  xii.  20. 

For  he  says  (Luke  i.  i)  he  was  not  an  eye- 
witness. And  tliis  is  confirmed  by  the  fact  that 
his  references  to  Christ  are  those  of  the  post- 
apostolic  generation  ;  c.  g.  the  use  of  6  Ktvptos 
when  speaking  of  Christ.  Ki^ptos,  as  a  substi- 
tute for  "Jesus,"  occurs  fourteen  times  in 
Luke;  elsewhere  in  the  Synoptists  only  in 
Mark  xvi.  19,  20.  The  combination  "the  Lord 
Jesus ''  occurs  only  in  Luke  xxiv.  3,  though 
often  in  the  Epistles. 

Perhaps  he  was  converted  by  Paul.  Tertul- 
lian  seems  to  assume  so  :  "  A  disciple  ...  of 
Paul,  without  a  doubt."  At  any  rate,  he  was 
converted  before  he  met  Paul  at  Troas.  Acts 
xvi.  II. 

From  Troas  he  accompanied  Paul  to  Philippi, 
where  he  remained  during  the  second  and  third 
missionary  journeys  of  Paul  —  a  period  of  seven 


22 


years,  51-58,  We  know  he  was  left  there,  for 
"  they  "  supplants  "  we  "  in  Acts  xvi.  40  (com- 
pare Acts  xvi.  16),  when  Paul  and  Silas  leave 
Philippi. 

Doubtless  Lnke  zvas  not  idle  all  this  time. 

We  infer  from  II.  Cor.  viii.  18,  referring  not 
to  the  written  but  to  the  spoken  Gospel,  that 
he  had  been  preaching.  At  any  rate,  a  physi- 
cian of  Luke's  tender  spirit  would  have  found 
means  of  subsistence  and  opportunities  for 
helpfulness  everywhere.  Yet  Luke  never  men- 
tions these  seven  years  of  glorious  missionary 
service. 

When  Paul  came  to  Philippi  at  the  end  of  his 
third  missionary  journey,  or  when  he  was  near 
Philippi, —  where  did  he  spend  the  three  months 
of  Acts  XX.  3  .''  —  Luke  joined  him  (Acts  xx.  5) 
to  accompany  him  to  Jerusalem  (Acts  xxi. 
15-18). 

After  this  Luke  was  PauPs  constant  companion. 

a.  Was  with  him  in  his  imprisonment  at 
Caesarea.  Acts  xxiii.  33 ;  xxiv.  23.  Did  they 
do  any  literary  work  there  .'' 

b.  Sailed  with  him  to  Rome.  Acts  xxvii.  i. 
Aristarchus  went  along.     Acts  xxvii.  2. 

e.  Was  by  his  side  during  his  first  imprison- 
ment. Acts  xxviii.  16;  Col.  iv.  14;  Phil.  24. 
"  My  fellow  laborers."     Many  with   Paul  now. 

d.  Luke  was  clearly  with  Paul  at  Rome  in 
62,  when  the   Epistles   to   the   Colossians  and 


23 

Philemon  were  written.  Where  was  he  when 
Paul  wrote  to  the  Philippians?  He  was  not  at 
Rome,  or  Paul  w^'ilrl  certainly  have  sent  greet- 
ings to  the  Philippians  from  him.  He  was  not 
at  Philippi,  or  Paul  would  have  sent  greetings 
to  him.  He  was  probably  in  Achaia,  where  he 
labored  with  Paul,  and  where,  according  to  the 
tradition  of  Jerome,  he  wrote  the  Gospel. 

e.  Was  with  him  during  his  second  imprison- 
ment. II.  Tim.  iv.  II.  "Only  Luke."  Soli- 
tary now ;  but  Luke  was  faithful  even  unto 
death. 

8.  Luke  ivas  a  physician. 

"■  The  beloved  physician."  Col.  iv.  14.  What 
does  this  imply  as  to  culture  and  education  ? 
Tholuck  says,  "  '  Collegium  archiatrorum  '  had 
to  examine  in  every  city  those  who  desired  to 
practice  the  healing  art,  and  to  exercise  super- 
vision over  them." 

^7.  Traces  of  Luke's  medical  knowledge  in 
the  Acts:  iii.  7;  ix.  18;  x.  10;  xii.  23;  xiii.  11  ; 
XX.  31  ;  xxviii.  8. 

d.  Traces  in  the  Gospel:  iv.  23,  38;  v.  12; 
vii.  2;  vi.  19;  viii.  46;  viii.  43-48  (compare  the 
unceremonious  statement  of  Mark  v.  25-26); 
ix.  2  ;  xiii.  1 1. 

9.  //ad  he  been  a  physician  to  some  vessel  on  the 
Jlfediterranean  Sea  ? 

The  size  of  the  ancients'  ships,  holding  up- 
wards of  three  hundred  people,  the  imperfect 


24 


sanitary  arrangements,  and  the  length  of  the 
voyages,  must  have  rendered  a  physician  neces- 
sary. Luke  possessed  accurate  nautical  knowl- 
edge, shown  especially  in  Acts  xxvii.  In  this 
chapter  are  five  compounds  of  ttX^w, —  Luke 
uses  three  others  elsewhere  (Acts  xx.  6,  i6; 
Luke  viii.  26), —  and  ten  other  correct  nautical 
terms. 

At  any  rate,  he  was  a  physician  and  used  to 
the  sea,  and  must  have  been  a  great  comfort 
and  help  to  Paul.  And  his  large  sympathy  is 
stamped  on  his  Gospel.  "  He  was  a  physician, 
and  so  to  all  his  words  are  medicines  of  the 
drooping  soul."  —  Jerome. 


I  o.    Could  he  have  been  the  cousin  of  the  Latin  poet, 
Liicati,  7iephew  of  Gallio  and  Seneca  ? 

Acts  xviii.  14-17.  Renan  and  Plumptre,  on 
the  ground  of  an  apochryphal  correspondence 
between  Paul  and  Seneca,  have  indulged  in 
this  speculation. 


1 1 .     There  is  a  legend  that  he  was  a  painter. 

There  was  a  Florentine  painter  of  the  twelfth 
century  named  Luca  Santo,  and  there  was  an 
earlier  Greek  hermit  of  the  name  of  Lucas, 
who  used  to  paint  the  Blessed  Virgin.  The 
tradition  may  have  originated  in  the  finding  of 
a  picture  of  the  Virgin  in  the  Catacombs  with 
the    inscription,    "  One    of    seven    painted    by 


25 

Luca."     Art  and  poetry  have  perpetuated  the 
tradition. 

"  Give  honor  unto  Luke,  evangelist, 
For  he  it  is  (the  ancient  legends  say) 
Who  first  taught  Art  to  fold  her  hands  and  pray." 

—  Rosetti. 

12.  Luke'' s  latei'  life. 

We  have  nothing  reliable  about  it. 

Epiphanius  says  that  he  preached  in  Dal- 
matia,  Gallia,  Italy,  and  Macedonia. 

Jerome  (in  what  Godet  calls  an  interpolated 
passage)  asserts  that  he  lived  a  celibate  life  to 
the  age  of  eighty-four. 

Gregory  of  Nazianzus  first  makes  him  a 
martyr. 

Nicephorus,  fifteenth  century,  maintains  that 
he  was  hanged  on  an  olive  tree  in  Greece  at 
the  age  of  eighty. 

On  the  ancient  doors  of  the  San  Paulo  in 
Rome  he  is  represented  as  dying  peacefully. 

It  was  generally  believed  that  he  ended  his 
days  in  Achaia  ;  for  there,  according  to  Jerome, 
the  Emperor  Constantine  sought  for  his  ashes 
to  transport  them  to  the  Church  of  the  Apos- 
tles in  Constantinople. 

13.  His  relation  to  Paul  is  the  important  thing.     It 
was  a  warm,  close,  iDiinterrnpted friendship. 

God  has  helped  His  Kingdom  more  than 
once  in  this  way.  Luther  and  Melancthon, 
Calvin  and  Beza,  Cranmer,  Latimer,  Ridley, 
are  other  illustrations  of  the  same  truth.  The 
Lord  sent  out  the  disciples  two   by  two.     So, 


26 


too,  we  read  of  Peter  and  "  Marcus,  my  son." 
I.  Peter  v.  13. 

The  significance  and  influence  of  this  friend- 
ship — 

a.    On  Luke. 

(r.)       Opportunity  for  service. 

(II.)     Changed  his  character. 

(III.)  The  pure  privilege  and  honor  of  it. 

k    On  Paul. 

(I.)      In  his  sickness. 

(II.)  In  his  work.  The  preacher  and 
the  physician  went  together. 

(ill.)  In  his  literary  work.  Luke  never 
mentions  Paul's  Epistles  in  the  Acts.  Did 
he  have  a  share  in  them,  and  is  his  silence 
due  to  modesty.'' 

(IV.)  In  his  language.  Notice  the  medi- 
cal terms  in  the  following  passages  in  Paul's 
Epistles:  I.  Tim.  i.  10;  vi.  4;  iv.  2,  8; 
V.  23 ;  II.  Tim.  ii.  17  ;  iv.  3  ;  Phil.  iii.  2,  8  ; 
•  Col.  iii.  5. 

This  may  be  a  little  precarious,  but  we 
need  not  let  go  the  internal  evidence  in 
Luke's  writings  of  his  knowledge  of  medi- 
cine. Thus  Jerome  speaks  of  "  Lucas, 
medicus  Antiochensis,  ut  scripta  ejus  in- 
dicant." 

And  Luke  was  a  faithful  friend.  Col. 
iv.  14;  II.  Tim.    iv.  ID,  II. 

c.    See  Keble's  Christian    Vear,  "  St.  Luke's 
Day." 


27 

14-     What  is  your  jiuignieiit  of  his  chaj'actcr  and 
work  ? 

"  Whose  joy  is  to  the  wandering  sheep 
To  tell  of  the  Great  Shepherd's  lova; 

To  learn  of  mourners  while  they  weep 
The  music  that  makes  mirth  above  ; 

Who  makes  the  Saviour  all  his  theme, 
The  Gospel  all  his  pride  and  praise." 

"  Utilis  ille  labor  per  quem  vixere  tot  aegri, 
Utilior  per  quem  tot  didicere  mori." 


28 

III.     When  was  the  Book  of  Acts  Written  ? 

1.  Before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  Because 
the  Gospel  of  Luke  contams  explicit  prophecies 
of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  because 
Acts  was  written,  according  to  its  own  state- 

'  ment,  after  the  Gospel,  the  rationalistic  critics 
hold  it  must  have  been  written  after  70. 

a.  Jesus  was,  however,  able  to  foretell  things 
to  come,  and  the  evangelists  were  preserved 
from  error  in  recording  these  predictions. 

b.  In  the  numerous  notices  of  Jerusalem, 
which  show  personal  knowledge  and  deep 
interest  in  its  localities,  no  indication  is  given 
that  any  change  has  passed  over  the  places 
where  Paul  had  endured  his  sorrows  and  his 
enemies  had  temporarily  but  decisively  tri- 
umphed. Acts  i.  19;  iii.  11,  "/>  called."  A 
sensitive  man  like  Luke  was  not  likely  to  have 
omitted  the  mention  of  such  things. 

c.  There  was  time  enough  for  the  writer  to 
complete  the  records  before  70. 

2.  The  time  when  Acts  was  written  v.as  not  far 
distant  from  the  termination  of  Paul's  impris- 
onment at  Rome,  mentioned  in  Acts  x.xviii. 
Luke  speaks  of  that  in  a  way  clearly  to  imply 
that  the  imprisonment  was  over;  either  Paul 
had  been  liberated  or  he  had  been  put  to 
death. 

a.  If,  following  the  tradition  of  his  second 
imprisonment  and  subsequent  death,  we  sup- 
pose he  was  liberated,  we  have  a  natural  ex- 


29 


planation  of  the  abrupt  close  of  the  Book,  if 
we  assume  that  Luke  published  it  at  the  time 
of  the  Apostle's  release,  or  so  soon  after  that 
the  interval  furnished  nothing  new  which  he 
deemed  it  necessary  to  add  to  the  history. 

b.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  suppose  that 
this,  the  first  and  only  captivity  of  Paul,  was 
terminated  by  his  martyrdom,  it  is  difficult  to 
account  for  the  writer's  silence  respecting  his 
death,  except  on  the  ground  that  it  was  so  re- 
cent and  well  known  in  the  circle  of  his  readers 
that  they  did  not  need  the  information. 

By  and  by  we  shall  see  that  this  second  sup- 
position—  that  Paul's  first  captivity  in  Rome 
was  his  only  one,  ended  by  his  death  —  is  un- 
tenable. But,  for  the  present,  whichever  one 
we  take  makes  the  time  of  writing  the  Acts 
almost  coincide  with  the  end  of  the  captivity 
in  Rome,  which  Luke  has  described. 

What  time  was  this  ? 

Most  critics  agree  that  Paul  was  brought  to 
Rome  in  6i  or  62.  The  Neronian  persecution 
came  in  64.  If  Paul  was  set  at  liberty  after 
his  imprisonment,  it  must  have  been  in  6t, 
or  near  the  beginning  of  64,  before  Nero's  per- 
secution began.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  was 
still  in  prison  when  Nero  began  to  play  the 
tyrant,  he,  probably,  as  leader  of  the  sect,  soon 
shared  the  fate  of  the  others,  about  64.  Hence, 
this  date,  or  the  close  of  63,  we  may  consider 
the  date  of  the  writing  of  the  Acts. 


3° 

4-  The  impression  left  on  the  reader  by  the  clos- 
ing of  the  Acts  is  that  the  writer's  whole  story 
is  told.  It  could  not  have  been  told  if  the 
writer  knew  more  about  the  Apostle  Paul.  It 
is  plain  that  the  book  was  published  soon  after 
the  events  with  which  it  closes.  The  two  years 
would  have  been  abundant  time  to  write  it,  or 
to  complete  what  may  have  been  already  writ- 
ten. It  is  evidently  a  finished  story.  It  ends 
with  the  word  dKio\vT(j}i,  unmolestedly.  "  The 
cadehce  is  expressive  of  stability,  of  motion 
succeeded  by  rest,  of  action  settled  in  repose, 
'an  emblem  of  the  history  of  the  church  of 
Christ,  and  of  the  life  of  every  true  believer 
in  Him.' " 

5.  The  best  date  for  the  Gospel  of  Luke  is  about 
63.     The  Acts  followed  at  no  long  interval. 

6.  There  were  motives  that  would  lead  the  writer 
to  publish  the  Book  as  soon  as  possible. 


31 

IV.     Where  was  the  Book  Published? 

If  Luke  wrote  the  Book  and  published  it  near 
the  close  of  Paul's  captivity,  it  was  probably  at 
Rome,  for  he  was  there  with  Paul  when  the 
Epistles  to  the  Colossians  and  Philemon  were 
written. 

This  was  the  opinion  of  the  early  Christian 
Fathers.     (Jerome.) 

The  probability  of  this  is  strengthened  by  the 
fact  that  Luke  makes  no  mention  of  Paul's 
liberation  or  martyrdom,  whichever  it  was. 

a.  This  would  be  natural  at  Rome,  because 
every  one  there  knew  the  result  of  Paul's  cap- 
tivity. 

b.  If  he  wrote  away  from  Rome,  it  is  hard 
to  explain  this  omission. 

The  accuracy  and  minuteness  of  references  to 
Italian  geography  suggests  that  it  was  written 
at  Rome,     xxviii.  12-15. 

So  also  do  the  corresponding  explanations 
about  other  places,  though  this  evidence  must 
not  be  pressed.  Acts  i.  12;  v.  17;  viii.  26; 
xxvii.  7,  8,  12,  13. 


32 
V.     To  Whom  Dedicated? 

Theophilus. 

1.  Origen  supposed  him  to  be  a  purely  fictitious 
person.  He  says  that  all  who  are  beloved  by 
God  are  Theophili  and  may  therefore  appropri- 
ate to  themselves  the  books  addressed  to  The- 
ophilus. Salvanius  appears  to  adopt  the  same 
view.  Theophylact,  who  believes  in  his  exist- 
ence, still  moralizes  upon  the  name.  If  it  were 
an  ideal  person,  the  name  would  be  tptXodeos. 
II.  Tim.  iii.  4.  Moreover,  KpaTiare  is  not  ap- 
plicable in  this  sense  universally. 

2.  Calls  him  Kparia-Te.  Luke  i.  4.  This  word 
omitted  in  dedication  of  Acts  i.  i.  It  is  a 
title  either  of  rank,  given  to  procurators,  or  of 
friendship.  In  the  former  sense  it  is  used  in 
Acts  xxiii.  26;  xxiv.  3  ;  xxvi.  25. 

3.  Theophylact  conjectures  that  he  was  a  Roman 
governor  or  person  of  senatorial  rank,  ground- 
ing the  conjecture  on  the  use  of  KpancrTe. 
CEcumenius  tells  us  he  was  a  governor. 

4.  Hase  and  Michaelis  identify  him  with  the  de- 
posed High  Priest,  son  of  Ananias,  brother 
and  immediate  successor  of  Jonathan,  made 
High  Priest  by  Vitellius  at  the  Passover  of  37, 
from  whom  some  think  Paul  got  the  letters 
authorizing  his  persecution  of  the  Christians 
at  Antioch. 

5.  Alexander  Morus  makes  the  hazardous  conjec- 
ture that  the  Theophilus  of  Luke  is  identical 


33 

with  the  Athenian  of  the  same  name  recorded 
by  Tacitus  as  having  been  condemned  for  fraud 
by  the  court  of  the  Areopagus. 

6.  Was  he  an  Italian  ?  Luke  often  explains  to 
him  the  position  and  distance  of  towns  in  Judea 
and  Galilee.  Luke  i.  26;  iv.  31;  viii.  26; 
xxiv.  13.  Not  so  Italian  geography.  Acts 
xxviii.  12-15. 

7.  He  was  probably  not  a  Macedonian  (Acts  xvi. 
12),  or  an  Athenian  (Acts  xvii.  21),  or  a  Cretan 
(Acts  xxvii.  12). 

8.  The  tradition  of  the  Clementine  Homilies, 
middle  of  the  second  century :  "  So  that 
Theophilus,  who  was  at  the  head  of  all  the 
men  in  power  at  the  city  (of  Antioch),  conse- 
crated under  the  name  of  a  church  the  great 
palace  in  which  he  resided." 

9.  We  have  seen  that  probably  Luke  was  of  An- 
tioch. Was  he  of  the  household  of  Theoph- 
ilus .''  He  may  have  been  his  freedman.  Lo- 
beck  has  noticed  that  contractions  in  as,  as 
Lucas  from  Lucanus,  Silas  from  Silvanus,  are 
frequent  in  the  names  of  slaves. 

(7.  This  fact  at  once  prevents  the  identi- 
fication of  Lucas  with  Lucius  of  Cyrene. 
Acts  xiii.  I.  Lucas  and  Lucius  are  different 
names. 

l>.  It  is  not  inconsistent  with  Luke's  cul- 
ture and  medical  knowledge.  Physicians  and 
men  of  letters  frequently  belonged  to  the  class 
of  slaves. 


34 

c.  If  Luke  had  practiced  his  profession  in 
Antioch,  and  if  he  was  brought  to  the  faith 
at  the  time  of  the  founding  of  the  church  in 
that  city  (Acts  xi.  20-26),  the  "we"  in  Acts 
xvi.  1 1  becomes  easily  explicable ;  for  Luke 
might  very  probably  have  desired  to  accom- 
pany Paul  in  his  missionary  work,  and  Troas 
would  be  the  natural  place  for  him  to  join 
him. 

t/.  This  accounts  also  for  both  the  fact  and 
the  style  of  the  dedication. 

(i)  Naturally  Luke  would  dedicate  his 
book  to  his  old  master  and  friend. 

(ii)  Theophilus  must  have  been  a  cul- 
tured man,  and  Luke  would  take  pains  to 
write  the  dedication  in  as  elegant  Greek 
as  possible. 

10.  "  Until  the  discovery  of  printing,  the  publication 
of  a  work  was  a  very  costly  undertaking ;  and 
authors  were  accustomed  to  dedicate  their 
works  to  some  high  personage  of  their  ac- 
quaintance, who  could  provide  the  writer  an 
opportunity  of  reading  his  production  in  some 
select  circle,  and  have  the  first  copies  prepared 
at  his  own  expense." 

11.  Bar-bahleel,  a  Syrian  lexicographer  of  the 
tenth  century,  says:  "Theophilus  primus  Cre- 
dentium  et  celeberrimus  apud  Alexandrienses, 
qui  cum  aliis  Aegyptiis  Lucam  rogabat  ut  eis 
evangelium  scriberet."     The  inscription  of  the 


35 


Gospel  of  Luke  in  the  Syriac  version  tells  us  it 
was  published  at  Alexandria.  Alexandria  was 
the  centre  of  the  book  world  of  the  day.  Is 
this  inconsistent  with  what  has  been  said  about 
Theophilus .'' 


36 
VI.     For  Whom  was  the  Book  Written  ? 

1.  Theophilus,  primarily,  presumptively  to  carry 
forward  his  Christian  education,  with  the  ex- 
pressed aim  of  advancing  which,  Luke  had 
faithfully  traced  the  Gospel  history. 

2.  But  an  account  so  wide-reaching  in  its  impor- 
tance and  so  intense  in  its  interest,  and  alone 
of  its  kind,  must  have  been  designed  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  probably  consciously  by  Luke  also, 
for  a  wider  circle  of  readers.  If  what  we  have 
supposed  regarding  Theophilus  be  true,  he 
must  have  been  a  man  of  sufficient  education 
and  acquaintance  with  the  Roman  world  not  to 
need  the  minute  suggestions  regarding  the 
geography  of  Macedonia  (Acts  xvi.  12),  or  of 
Crete  (Acts  xxvii.  12),  or  the  reference  to  the 
inquisitive  character  of  the  Athenians  (Acts 
xvii.  21). 

3.  These  indications  lead  to  the  belief  that  Luke 
wrote  for  a  wide  circle  of  readers,  a  conclusion 
which,  when  we  remember  that  the  widest 
circle  would  be  non-Palestinian  and  Gentile, 
is  strengthened  by  the  following  observations : 

a.  The  character  of  Theophilus,  who  was 
a  Gentile. 

b.  The  special  identification  of  Luke  and 
Paul  with  the  Gentiles. 

c.  The  analogy  of  the  Gospel  of  Luke, 
which  was  a  Gentile  Gospel.  Luke  iv.  16-30; 
iii.  6. 


Z1 


d.  The  explanation  of  geographical  relations 
in  Palestine.    Acts  i.  12;  viii.  26;  ix.  38. 

e.  The  Gentile-universal  character  of  Acts. 
The  way  Peter  was  freed  from  his  Gentile 

scruples.  Acts  x.  The  reception  of  heathen 
converts  into  the  Church.  Acts  x.  11.  The 
council  at  Jerusalem.  Acts  xv.  The  large 
space  given  to  the  non-Palestinian  work  of 
Paul. 

These  traits  did  not  unfit  it  for  circulation  in 
Palestine  among  Jewish  Christians.  They 
better  fitted  it  for  use  among  the  Gentiles. 
They  make  it  to  us  the  very  book  needed  by 
us  to  understand  at  least  a  little  the  growth  of 
the  Church  and  of  the  conception  of  the  Gospel 
in  the  Church. 

Suggest  various  reasons  why  the  Book  is 
precious  to  us.  There  is  nothing  else  on  this 
period  with  the  exception  of  Apocryphal  books 
or  forgeries,  and  of  inferences  from  the  Epis- 
tles. The  Book  of  Acts  is  one  of  the  best 
Christian  evidences,  both  as  a  positive  proof  and 
as  a  refutation  of  negative  criticism.  With- 
out the  Book  of  Acts  we  should  lose  evidence 
like  that  presented  in  Paley's  Home  Patdine. 
We  should  have  an  unknown,  unbridged  gulf 
between  the  Gospels  and  Epistles.  We  should 
lose  the  greatest  missionary  book. 


3^ 

VII.     What  was  the  Design  of  the  Book? 

1.  Heinrichs,  Kuinol  and  others  maintain  that  no 
particular  design  should  be  attributed  to  the 
writer  beyond  that  of  giving  his  friend  Theophi- 
lus  a  pleasant  and  instructive  narrative  of  such 
events  as  .had  come  under  his  own  notice, 
either  immediately  or  by  report  of  others. 

a.  This  overlooks  the  earnest  seriousness  of 
the  New  Testament  writers. 

h.  It  omits  the  constant  guiding  agency  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  with  His  large  purposes. 

c.  From  its  contents,  form,  style,  spirit,  and 
allusions,  the  Book  is  evidently  designed  for 
a  wider  use  than  that  of  Theophilus. 

2.  It  has  been  asserted  that  the  design  was  to 
vindicate,  for  either  Peter  or  Paul,  the  first 
place  in  the  Church. 

a.  In  the  first  twelve  chapters  our  attention 
is  largely  fixed  upon  Peter,  and  there  are 
works  done  by  him  fulfilling  the  promises 
made  to  him  by  Christ. 

(I.)  But  not  to  the  exclusion  of  others, 
Barnabas,  Stephen,  and  Philip  complete  or 
anticipate  works  of  Peter.  Who  first 
preached  to  Gentiles  ?  Who  baptized  the 
first  Gentile  convert?  Whose  is  the  longest 
recorded  speech  in  the  first  half  of  the 
book? 

(II.)  Peter  passes  wholly  out  of  sight 
after  the  first  twelve  chapters,  so  far  as 


39 


regards  his  own  special  work.     Where  is 
he  last  mentioned  in  the  Book  ? 

(III.)  His  subsequent  important  work 
and  martyrdom  are  not  hinted  at.  Acts 
may  have  been  published  before  the  last, 
but  not  before  some  of  the  former.  I  Cor. 
i.  12;  iii.  22;  I.  Peter  i.  i. 

(IV.)  In  the  council  of  Jerusalem  Peter 
occupied  a  place  subordinate  to  James. 

b.  Paul  fills  a  larger  portion  of  Acts,  but  the 
design  of  the  Book  cannot  be  to  vindicate  the 
first  place  for  him. 

(I.)  For  much  that  we  learn  of  him  in 
his  Epistles,  that  most  probably  was  known 
to  Luke,  is  omitted  from  the  Book.  II.  Cor. 
xi.  23-27  ;  II.  Thess.  iii.  8,  9. 

(II.)  Luke  tells  things  not  altogether 
to  Paul's  praise,  and  omits  much  which 
might  have  been  said  by  way  of  commenda- 
tion.    Prove  this. 

c.  The  deadly  enmity  between  Paul  and 
Peter  and  their  followers  pre-supposed  by 
those  holding  this  view  did  not  exist.  There 
were  two  enemies  of  Christianity  without : 
Heathenism  and  unbelieving  Judaism ;  and 
two  parties  within,  one  striving  for  national 
supremacy  and  opposed  to  the  great  movement 
toward  Catholicity,  and  the  other  pressing 
onward  and  outward.  Peter  and  James  at  the 
most  critical  moment  gave  the  whole  weight  of 
their  authority  and  influence  to  this  second 
party,  striving  to  remove  obstructions  to    the 


40 


growth  of  Christianity.  This  is  the  testimony 
of  Acts  XV.,  which  shows  not  antagonism,  but 
agreement. 

Hilgenfeld  and  others  represent  the  work  as 
written  with  the  express  intention  of  proving  a 
substantial  unity  of  doctrine  between  the  two 
Apostles.  The  impression  produced  by  reading 
the  Acts  is  that  this  unity  existed.  Compare 
for  example  ii.  39 ;  iii.  15;  x.  43  ;  with  xiii.  26 ; 
xvi^  31  ;  xvii.  31.  This  impression,  however, 
comes  not  from  intended  effect,  but  from  the 
fact  that  such  an  agreement  existed. 

Grotius  called  the  Book  a  biography  of  Peter 
and  Paul. 

a.  This  conception  is  disproven,  however, 
by  the  reasons  urged  against  the  second  design 
suggested  above. 

b.  Much  that  would  be  contained  in  a  biog- 
raphy is  omitted.  How  many  of  the  experi- 
ences mentioned  in  II.  Cor.  ix.  24-33,  ^^f"- 
related  in  the  Acts?  What  we  learn  from 
Gal.  i.  7,  ii.  11,  and  from  I.  Peter  v.  13,  we 
do  not  learn  from  the  Acts. 

The  design  cannot  be  to  give  the  history  of  the 
Apostolic  body,  for  they  do  not  come  before 
the  reader  in  their  collective  capacity  after  the 
introductory  chapters,  and,  with  the  exception 
of  Peter,  James,  and  John,  none  of  them  are 
mentioned  by  name  after  the  first  chapter. 
Where  in  the  Book  are  the  "  Apostles  "  spoken 
of.? 


41 

6.  Baumgarten  and  Ewald  describe  the  design  as 
the  relation  of  the  history  of  the  out-spreading 
of  the  Church  from  Jerusalem  to  Rome.  But 
this  confuses  contents  with  design. 

7.  Chrysostom  holds  that  the  main  effect  of  the 
Book  is  to  prove  the  Resurrection.  Peter  al- 
ludes to  it  six  times:  i.  22;  ii.  24;  iii.  15;  iv. 
10;  V.  30;  X.  40.  Paul,  five  times:  xiii.  30,  31, 
33~37  5  xvii.  3,  31  ;  xxvi.  23.  This,  however, 
was  not  the  design  of  the  Book. 

S.  CEcumenius  regards  the  Book  in  its  truest  and 
highest  sense,  as  the  Gospel  of  the  Holy  Ghost; 
following  Chrysostom,  who  says,  "  The  Gospels 
are  a  history  of  what  Christ  did  and  said,  but 
the  Acts  the  history  of  what  the  other  Com- 
forter said  and  did."  There  is  a  large  truth 
here.  Study  vi.  3,  vii.  55,  xii.  2,  and  chapters 
ii.,  viii.,    x.,  and  xix.,  with  this  in  mind. 

9.  Luther  writes,  "  In  this  Book,  St.  Luke  teaches 
all  Christendom,  unto  the  end  of  the  world,  the 
real  central  principle  of  Christian  doctrine,  that 
we  must  all  be  righteous  only  through  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ,  without  any  aid  of  the  law  or 
help  of  our  works."  Luther  sees,  as  usual,  one 
thing  clearly,  to  the  neglect  of  other  things. 
X.  43,  xiii.  39,  xvi.  31,  are  proofs  of  the  truth 
which  Luther  indicates ;  but  to  assert  that 
justification  is  by  faith  alone  was  not  Luke's 
design  in  writing  the  Book  of  Acts. 

10.  Eichorn  says,  the  object  was  to  give  a  history 
of  missions  for  the  propagation  of  Christianity. 


T2. 


42 


Farrar  calls  the  Book  "  A  picture  of  the  origms 
of  Christianity."  According  to  Jerome,  it  is 
a  history  of  the  infancy  of  the  new-born 
Church. 

a.  But  there  is  much  omitted  about  which 
in  such  a  record  we  should  hope  to  find  in- 
formation,—  namely,  the  distribution  from  the 
common  store,  and  the  position  of  women  and 
of  young  people  in  the  church. 

l>.  Does  not  this  confuse  contents  and  de- 
sign ? 

Hanlein  and  Michaelis  hold  that  ''the  general 
design  of  the  author  of  this  Book  was  by  means 
of  his  narratives  to  set  forth  the  co-operation 
of  God  in  the  diffusion  of  Christianity,  and, 
along  with  that,  to  prove  by  remarkable  facts 
the  divinity  of  the  Apostles  and  the  perfectly 
equal  right  of  the  Gentiles  Avith  the  Jews  to  a 
participation  in  the  blessings  of  that  religion." 

Cosmos  Indicopleustes  declares,  that  "both  in 
the  Gospel  and  in  the  Acts  Luke  relates  the 
ascent  of  Christ  into  Heaven  and  the  promise 
that  He  will  come  again,  and  he  completes  his 
work,  having  before  him  this  one  object,  to 
which  all  must  look  forward."  Examine  this 
thoroughly. 

The  Book  of  Acts  is  a  "record  of  the  personal 
action  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  the  first 
evolution  of  His  Gospel  and  in  the  formation 
of  His  Church."  The  design  of  Luke  in  writ- 
ing the  Book  was  to  supply,  by  select  and  suit- 


43 


able  instances,  an  illustration  of  the  power  and 
working  of  the  religion  which  Jesus  had  died 
to  establish,  and  to  show  that  the  activity  of 
Jesus  was  not  checked  or  reduced  by  His  ascent 
into  Heaven,  but  was  exerted  even  more,  be- 
cause He,  had  ascended  on  high,  and  having 
gone  away  had  sent  the  Holy  Spirit  to  teach, 
help,  guide,  and  extend  the  Church.  That 
this  was  the  design  of  the  Acts  is  indicated : 

(7.  By  the  introduction.  Luke  refers  to  his 
Gospel  as  an  account  of  the  things  which  Jesus 
began  to  do  and  to  teach.  Baumgarten  says, 
"  If,  therefore,  at  the  commencement  of  a 
second  book,  all  that  has  been  narrated  in  the 
first  has  been  characterized  as  the  work  of  the 
initiatory  labors  of  Jesus,  is  not  this  a  plain  in- 
timation that  in  the  second  book  we  are  to 
look  for  an  account  of  the  farther  continuance 
of  those  labors?"  Compare  Luke  xxiv.  19, 
Acts  i.  I,  II.  Thess.  ii.  17,  Acts  vii.  22,  noticing 
the  order  of  the  words.  Where  does  doing 
precede  teaching,  and  where  does  teaching  pre- 
cede doing  ? 

b.  By  the  way  in  which  Jesus  constantly  ap- 
pears as  the  ruler  and  judge  of  His  spiritual 
kingdom.  Acts  i.  24;  ii.  2>Z^  47;  iii.  26;  xvi. 
10;  viii.  26;  ix.  5,  10;  xviii.  9;  xxii.  17,  18,  21; 
xxiii.  1 1  ;  xxvii.  23,  24.  Compare  Eph.  iv. 
10-12;  Rev.  i.  13,  20;  ii.  i. 

c.  By  the  frequency  with  which  our  eyes  are 
lifted  up  to  Heaven.  Acts  i.  9-11  ;  ii.  2  ;  vii. 
55'  56;  ix.  3-5;  X.  11-16;  xi.  5-10. 


44 


This  design,  of  course,  governed  the  selec- 
tion of  facts,  and  so  determined  the  contents. 
"  We  find  that  by  an  undeviating  course  we 
have  followed  the  development  of  the  true  idea 
of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  its  relation,  first  to 
the  Jewish  system  out  of  which  it  emerges, 
and  then  to  the  great  world  to  which  it  opens 
itself.  When  the  words  and  deeds  of  Philip 
or  Stephen  or  Peter  or  Paul  are  implicated 
with  this  process  of  things,  we  find  ourselves 
in  their  company;  but  when  we  part  from 
Peter  without  notice  of  his  after  course,  when 
we  leave  Paul  abruptly  at  the  commencement 
of  his  two  years  in  Rome,  we  are  given  to  un- 
derstand that  we  have  been  reading,  not  their 
personal  memoirs,  but  a  higher  history,  which 
certain  parts  of  their  careers  serve  to  embody 
or  to  illustrate."  The  deep  design,  however, 
was  the  bearing  of  a  clear  testimony  to  the 
ever  present,  controlling,  administrative  agency 
of  the  risen  and  ascended  Lord,  and  His  un- 
failing, loving  concern  for  His  Church. 

There  is  a  needed  lesson  here  for  every  man. 
The  Book  of  Acts  is  a  clear  rebuke  to  the  prac- 
tical atheism  of  our  daily  life,  which  regards 
things  as  chancing  and  happening,  and  does 
not  regard  all  our  life  as  under  the  dominance 
of  the  living  Christ.  There  is  help  in  a  reali- 
zation of  the  great  truth  which  the  Book  of 
Acts  teaches.  To  each  man  who  has  learned 
that  truth  it  is  his  conscious  joy  — 

"  That  evermore  beside  him  on  his  way 
The  unseen  Christ  shall  move, 
That  he  may  lean  upon  His  arm  and  say, 
'  Dear  Lord,  dost  Thou  approve  ? '  " 


45 

VIII.     Title  of  the  Book. 

The  title  irpd^eLS  tQp  diroaToXojv  is  ancient,  but 
is  supposed  to  have  been  added  by  sonne  later 
hand  than  the  author's.  In  Acts  i.  i,  Luke 
calls  his  Gospel  the  former  treatise.  Perhaps 
he  would  call  the  Book  of  Acts  simply  a  treatise. 
In  the  Codex  Vatican  us  the  title  is  "  Acts  of 
Apostles."  It  is  the  same  in  Codex  Bezae. 
In  the  Codex  Sinaiticus  it  is  simply  "  Acts." 
The  title  is  thus  in  the  oldest  inanuscripts. 
It  must  have  been  added  very  early  in  the 
second  or  third  century,  for  the  most  ancient 
versions,  the  Coptic  and  the  Syraic,  retain  the 
Greek  word  unchanged.  The  fact  that  the 
name  was  given  by  writers  of  these  centuries 
implies  a  long  interval  of  previous   reception. 

Another  evidence  of  the  early  date  of  this 
name,  is  the  fact  that  the  title  "  Acts "  was 
given  to  some  of  the  earliest  and  best  known 
Apochryphal  books.  Perhaps  the  rise  of  these 
other  Acts  affords  the  explanation  of  the  addi- 
tion to  the  simple  title  irpd^ets  of  the  words 
TLou  diroaToKojv.  One  of  these  Apochryphal 
Acts  was  entitled  the  "  Acts  of  Paul  and 
Thekla."  The  writer  of  it  was  an  ancient 
presbyter,  who  was  deposed  for  the  forgery, 
showing  the  jealous  care  over  the  Scriptures 
exercised  by  the  early  Church.  The  title  of  the 
Book  varies  with  different  manuscripts.  It  is 
"Acts  of  the  Apostles,"  "Acting  of  Apostles," 
"Acts  of  all  the  Apostles,"  "The  Acts  of  the 
Holy  Apostles." 


46 


The  Book  has  been  called  also  "  The  Gospel  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,"  "The  Gospel  of  the  Resur- 
rection," "  The  Acts  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 

The  propriety  of  the  title  "The  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  "  has  been  questioned. 

a.  The  Book  does  not  record  the  acts  of  all 
of  the  Apostles. 

b.  It  does  not  record  all  the  acts  of  some 
of  them. 

V.  It  gives  full  notices  of  some,  like  Stephen 
or  Philip,  who  were  not  Apostles. 

d.  The  acts  that  are  recorded  are  often  at- 
tributed to  the  Lord  Himself  or  to  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

Properly  understood,  it  is  the  best  title.  The 
Book  is  a  record  of  acts.  These  acts  were 
done  in  the  main,  so  far  as  human  agents  were 
concerned,  through  the  Apostles. 


47 

IX.     The  Sources  of  Luke's  Information. 

What  were  his  sources  in  the  Gospel  ?     Is  the  case 
differeiit  with  Acts  ? 

1 .  Oral  traditioi. 

Luke  was  a  Christian  of  some  standing  ap- 
parently when  he  joined  Paul  at  Troas,  and 
most  of  the  events  related  in  the  first  twelve 
chapters  must  have  been  well  known  to  all 
Christians  in  Palestine.  The  Jerusalem  Chris- 
tians, especially,  would  remember  those  early 
and  striking  scenes.  The  practised  and  reten- 
tive memory  of  them  and  of  other  Hebrew 
disciples,  with  whom  Luke  was  brought  in 
contact,  would  be  able  to  reproduce  the  speeches 
of  Peter  and  the  accurate  account  of  the  early 
days. 

2.  Written  records. 

It  is  no  very  hazardous  assumption,  nor  one 
at  variance  with  the  habits  of  antiquity,  to  sup- 
pose that  the  more  extended  speeches  and  dis- 
courses which  Luke  did  not  hear  may  have 
been  written  down  by  others,  and  so  preserved 
as  they  were  delivered,  and  introduced  into 
Luke's  hands.  At  least,  the  letter  sent  by  the 
Jerusalem  Council  to  the  Gentiles  (Acts  xv. 
24-29),  and  the  letter  of  Claudias  Lysias  to 
Felix  (Acts  xxiii.  26-30),  might  have  been  pre- 
served. Luke's  extensive  travels,  his  literary 
work,  his  influential  position,  would  have  given 
him  access  to  any  written  records. 


48 


Personal  intercourse  zvith  the  actors. 

To  the  close  of  his  history,  Luke  lived  in 
constant  intercourse  with  converts  who  had 
been  with  Peter  and  the  other  Apostles,  and 
to  whom  everything  about  them  had  been  mat- 
ters of  deepest  interest.  He  must  have  met 
Philip  in  Asia  Minor.  What  could  he  have 
learned  from  him  ?  When  did  he  see  Peter  } 
What  could  he  have  learned  from  him  .-*  Luke 
and  Paul  were  accompanied  to  Jerusalem  by 
Mnason  of  Cyprus,  an  old  convert  who  enter- 
tained them  in  his  house.  At  the  great  feast 
(Acts  XX.  1 6)  all  the  members  of  Mary's  house, 
the  church  of  Jerusalem,  and  many  Hebrew 
converts  would  be  present.  Moreover,  the  stay 
in  CiEsarea  would  give  time  for  securing  in- 
formation on  all  needed  subjects.  What,  in 
the  first  fifteen  chapters,  could  Luke  have 
learned  from  Paul  ? 

Personal  knozvledge  and  ol>se?-vation. 

From  Troas  Luke  and  Paul  were  companions, 
with  the  exception  of  the  time  that  Luke  spent 
at  Philippi  (Acts  xvii.  1-25).  Paul  could  tell 
him  what  happened  then,  and  Luke  saw  all  the 
rest. 

Did  Liikc  a7Jail  himself  of  PauVs  Epistles  ? 

a.    Did  he  know  of  them  .'' 

Yes.  It  is  impossible  that  he  should 
have  been  ignorant  at  least  of  those  writ- 
ten from  the  first  imprisonment,  for  he 
sends   his  greetings   in   the   letter  to  the 


49 


Colossians.  From  the  subscription  to 
II.  Corinthians,  and  from  II.  Cor.  viii.  i8, 
what  do  yon  learn  of  his  connection  with 
that  letter  ? 

/'.    Did  he  use  them  ? 

He  had  the  writer  of  them ;  that  was 
better  than  the  Epistles.  There  are  close 
resemblances  between  the  Acts  and  the 
Epistles,  but  these  are  doubtless  due  to 
the  fact  that  their  authors  were  closely 
associated.  Still,  if  Luke  wished  to  use 
the  Epistles,  some  of  them,  at  least,  were 
available  to  him. 

There  was  the  breath  of  inspiratioti  on  him. 

The  Holy  Spirit  was  presiding  over  him, 
guiding  him  to  the  choice  of  right  materials, 
preserving  him  from  error  in  the  use  of  them, 
opening  up  new  resources  to  him,  and,  over 
and  above  him,  preparing  for  the  Church 
through  him,  the  record  of  the  things  which 
the  ascended  Lord  was  continuirig  to  do  and 
to  teach. 


so 

X.     The  Credibility  of  the  Acts. 

The  Tubingen  school  attacked  the  historic  cred- 
ibility of  the  Acts  on  the  ground  of  the  dis- 
cordant positions  of  Peter  and  of  Paul,  and  of 
the  enmity  between  the  Jewish  and  Gentile 
Christians.  The  root  motive  was  antagonism 
to  the  supernatural.  With  sources  like  those 
just  enumerated,  the  presumption  is  in  favor 
of  the  truthfulness  of  the  record.  Note  fur- 
ther: 

1.  7 he  testimony  of  the  author. 

The  declaration  at  the  beginning  of  the  Gos- 
pel, describing  his  method,  applies  to  the  Acts 
as  well.  We  learn  there  that  it  was  his  habit 
to  avail  himself  of  every  possible  source  of 
information,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  certainty 
of  what  he  wrote.  He  was  diligent  in  secur- 
ing material,  and  careful  in  using  it.  Notice 
the  consistency  of  his  use  of  the  pronouns 
"  we  "  and  "  they."  Acts  xvi.  1 1  ;  xvii.  i  ; 
XX.    5. 

2.  Relation  of  the  Acts  to  the  Pauline  Epistles. 

a.  Undesigned  coincidences.  Compare  Gal. 
i.  18;  Acts  ix.  28;  xxii.  17,  18.  Examine 
Paley's  Horae  Paulinae. 

b.  Omissions  in  the  Acts.  Acts  ix.  22-24 
does  not  mention,  neither  does  it  preclude  the 
possibility  of,  the  journey  of  which  Paul  speaks 
in  Gal.  i.  17. 

Seek  other  relations  between  the  Acts  and 
the  Epistles.     Notice  that  they  spring  from  the 


SI 

truthfulness  of  the  record,  and  not  from  acci- 
dent or  design. 

The  fundamental  conception  of  those  who 
deny  the  credibility  of  the  Acts, —  that  is,  a 
rivalry  and  antagonism  between  Peter  and 
Paul, —  at  least,  so  far  as  it  is  made  an  explan- 
ation for  the  contents,  character,  and  design 
of  the  Acts,  is  controverted  by  the  proved  ob- 
ject of  the  Book  already  considered. 

Moreover,  the  writer  cannot  be  striving  to 
exalt  Peter,  for  he  disappears  shortly.  He 
cannot  be  exalting  Paul,  for  Peter  is  plainly 
given  first  place  among  the  Apostles,  and  speci- 
fies that  the  twelfth  Apostle  must  be  one  who 
"  companied  with  us"  during  the  whole  minis- 
try of  Jesus  since  John  the  Baptist.     Acts  i. 

21,  22. 

It  cannot  be  that  Luke  is  striving  to  make 
it  appear  that  the  whole  Church  was  undis- 
turbed by  disagreement,  since  he  tells  of  the 
differences  and  quarrels.  It  cannot  be  that  he 
is  aiming  to  represent  this  hostility  as  constant 
with  one  side  or  the  other  holding  the  palm  of 
superiority,  for  the  Council  ends  with  agree- 
ment. He  is  not  presenting  the  Jewish  side 
(Acts  xxviii.  28),  nor  the  Gentile  side  (xxi.  20). 
His  object  is  simply  to  write  truthful  history. 

The  consistency  of  the  Book  loith  contempo- 
ra  lie  Otis  testimony. 

Social  and  religious  customs  of  different  and 
distant  nations.  Acts  xvii.  21.  In  Thucydides, 
Cleon  is   represented   as    complaining   of    his 


52 

countrymen  that  they  were  in  the  habit  of 
playing  the  part  of  spectators  in  displays  of 
oratory  and  listeners  to  the  stories  of  what 
others  had  done,  and  a  like  charge  is  made  by 
Demosthenes  in  his  speeches  on  the  vigorous 
policy  of  Philip  of  Macedon,  which  he  contrasts 
with  the  Athenian  love  of  talk  and  news. 

Fluctuating  affairs  of  Jews,  Greeks  and 
Romans.     Acts  v.  34-39;  xxiv.  27. 

Political  arrangements.  Acts  xvi.  20;  xvii. 
6;  xix.  31-35;  xxvi.  32.  See  on  these  pas- 
sages the  volume  on  Acts  in  the  Cai?ibridgc 
Bible  for  ScJwols  and  Colleges. 

Commercial  industries.    Acts  xvi.  14;  xix.  24. 

Study  also  with  the  same  thing  in  mind, 
viii.  9 ;  xiii.  17;  xvi.  12;  xxii.  25-29;  xxiv.  24, 
27  ;  XXV.  13;  xxvii.  i  ;  xxviii.  7. 

Geography,  xxvii.  7,  12,  28.  Recent  inves- 
tigations have  shown  these  soundings  off  Point 
Koura,  on  the  northeast  side  of  Crete,  to  be 
correct. 

Moreover,  all  these  points  of  contact  witli 
contemporaneous  life  and  history  arise  natur- 
ally in  the  course  of  the  narrative.  No  unhis- 
toric  or  unreliable  writer  would  have  risked  so 
many  minute  allusions  or  could  have  introduced 
so  many  without  error. 

The  speeihes  of  Paid,  Peter,  and  fa??ies. 

It  is  alleged  that  we  have  different  views  in 
the  mouths  of  these  Apostles  in  their  speeches 
from  those  derived  from  their  writings.  What 
would  be  the  consequence  if  it  were  granted 


53 


that  the  speeches  bore  in  some  sense  the  im- 
press of  Luke  ?  Would  it  destroy  their  accu- 
racy or  reliability  ?  The  fact  of  the  alleged 
divergence,  however,  cannot  be  shown. 

a.     Paul. 

Compare,  by  way  of  illustration,  his 
farewell  address  to  the  elders  of  Ephesus 
at  Miletus  with  his  Epistles.  Notice  the 
corresponding  teaching  in  each. 

(I.)  Allusions  to  his  .pastoral  fidelity. 
Acts  XX.  18-21  ;  I.  Thess.  ii.  10;  II.  Cor. 
vi.  3'  4- 

(II.)  As  an  answer  to  calumnies  and 
an  incitement  to  holy  living.  Acts  xx. 
31-35;  II.  Cor.  i.  12;  I.  Cor.  xi.  i;  Phil, 
iii.  17. 

(ill.)  His  tenderness  and  gentleness. 
Acts  xx.  31;  II.  Cor.  ii.  4;  x.  i;  I.  Thess. 
ii.  7;  Eph.  iv.  32;  II.  Tim.  ii.  24;  Gal.  v. 
22. 

(IV.)  His  loving  diligence.  Acts  xx.  20; 
I.  Thess.  ii.  11  ;  II.  Tim.  iv.  2. 

(v.)  His  boldness  in  preaching  and  his 
freedom  from  the  fear  of  man.  Acts  xx. 
27  ;  I.  Thess.  ii.  4  (Is  the  Gospel  a  gift 
or  a  trust .''  I.  Cor.  iv.  i,  2  ;  I.  Tim.  i.  1 1, 
Romans  i.  14,  15);  II.  Cor.  iv.  2. 

(VI.)  He  anticipates  persecution  in 
Jerusalem.     Acts  xx.  22,  23;  Romans  xv; 

31- 


54 

(VII.)  His  estimate  of  his  life.  Acts 
XX.  24;  xxi.  13;  Phil.  ii.  17;  II.  Tim.  iv. 
6,7. 

(VIII.)  Presage  of  future  dangers  to  the 
Church.  Acts  xx.  29,  30;  I.  Tim.  iv.  i. 
Does  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  written 
subsequently,  indicate  that  these  fears 
were  fulfilled  ? 

(IX.)  His  commendation  and  blessing. 
Acts  xx.  32  ;  Romans  xvi.  25. 

(X.)  His  manual  labor.  Acts  xx.  33, 
34;  I.  Thess.  ii.  9;  II.  Thess.  iii.  8;  I.  Cor. 
iv.  12;  I.  Cor.  ix.  12  ;  II.  Cor.  ii.  8. 

(XI.)  Acts  XX.  34,  "these  hands."  It 
would  be  just  like  Paul  to  stretch  out 
before  them  his  hands  worn  rough  by  hard 
toil.  The  Lord  had  held  out  His  hands. 
John  XX.  20 ;  Luke  xxiv.  39. 

(XII.)  Moreover,  the  quotation  of 
Christ's  words  in  Acts  xx.  35,  words  not 
recorded  in  the  Gospels,  is  just  like  Paul. 

Peter. 

His  Epistles  and  his  speeches  in  the 
Acts  correspond  : 

(i).  In  their  representations  of  our 
Lord's  olfice  and  person. 

(ii.)  In  their  use  of  prophecy,  more 
complete  and  circumstantial  than  the  use 
of  the  other  New  Testament  writers.  Acts 
ii.  25 ;   I.  Peter  ii.  6. 


55 


"  Peter  and  Paul  agree  in  interpreting 
the  predictions  and  intimations  of  the 
prophets  from  Moses  to  Samuel  as  having 
a  perfect  fulfillment  in  Christ,  but,  for 
proof  of  this  fulfillment,  Peter  appeals 
rather  to  the  personal  knowledge  of  him- 
self and  fellow  disciples.  I.  Peter  ii.  21. 
On  the  other  hand,  Paul  appeals  rather  to 
the  manifestations  of  power  by  the  risen 
Saviour.     Romans  viii.  35-37-" 

(ill.)  In  their  references  to  the  Holy 
Ghost.     Acts  ii.  ;^2;  I.  Peter  i.  12. 

(IV.)  In  their  reference  to  Christ  as  the 
corner  stone.     Acts  iv.  1 1  ;  I.  Peter  ii.  6. 

(V.)  In  their  use  of  ^v\ou  for  cross. 
Acts  V.  30  ;  X.  39 ;  I.  Peter  ii.  24.  This 
word  is  used  in  the  New  Testament  for 
cross  elsewhere  only  in  Gal.  iii.  13,  which 
is  quoted  from  Deuteronomy  xxi.  23.  Paul 
elsewhere  uses  aravpos. 

James. 

Only  one  speech.  Only  one  Epistle. 
These,  however,  correspond. 

(I.)  Compare  Acts  xv.  17  with  James 
ii.  7. 

(II.)  The  Epistle  is  just  such  a  letter  as 
we  should  expect  from  a  man  like  James 
in  such  a  position. 

(i)  Protest  against  pride  and  hy- 
pocrisy. James  i.  26,  27;  ii.  i,  2; 
iii.  17;  iv.  6. 


56 

(2)  Condemnation  of  half  hearted- 
ness.     James  i.  6 ;  iv.  4. 

(3)  Insistence  upon  works.    James 
ii.  17,  26. 

(4)  Citation    of     Old    Testament 
characters.      James  ii.   21,  25;  v.   11, 

(III.)     The  Epistle  evinces  no  spirit  con- 
trary to  the  temper  of  James  at  the  Jeru- 
.     salem  council.     James  iii.  17. 

6.       The  f.)ie  delineations  of  character  in  the  Acts. 

"  Peter,  among  his  own  people,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  mixed  and  at  first  in  great  part  un- 
sympathetic audience,  before  authorities  bent 
on  suppressing  his  testimony  and  armed  with 
full  power  for  his  destruction,  preaching,  work- 
ing, anxiously  meditating,  drawn  onward  to  new 
developments,  at  first  reluctantly,  with  mental 
struggles  and  perplexity,  but,  when  once  con- 
vinced, acting  promptly  and  decisively,  meeting 
persecution  unto  the  death  fearlessly,  candid  in 
estimating  the  conduct,  generous  in  supporting 
the  position,  of  an  Apostie  in  whom  a  common 
man  would  have  recognized  an  opponent  and  a 
rival.  Paul,  standing  on  the  same  level  of 
iiobleness,  but  gifted  with  transcendent  mental 
powers,  with  passions  both  before  and  after 
conversion  far  more  easily  excited,  called  on 
to  bear  witness  to  truth  once  hated  before  the 
representatives  of  all  that  was  evil  or  prejudiced, 
ignorant  or  haughtily  intellectual,  sensual  or  ar- 


57 

rogant,  ignoble  or  noble,  in  the  ancient  world ; 
in  all  circumstances  showing  the  same  funda- 
mental character,  stern,  zealous,  unshakable, 
but  adapting  himself  to  all  circumstances  with 
a  versatility  and  power  of  adaptation  so  mar- 
velous as  to  have  supplied  cavilers  with  their 
most  effective  weapons  of  assault,  but  such  as 
supply  candid  and  earnest  students  with  ma- 
terials for  realizing  a  character  unrivalled  in 
its  influence  upon  all  regions  of  spiritual  life 
and  thought."  This  same  truthful  skill  can  be 
seen  in  a  study  of  the  smaller  characters  :  on  the 
one  hand  Elymas,  Ananias,  Simon,  Demetrius, 
Felix,  the  Herods,  and  on  the  other  Barnabas, 
Stephen,  Philip,  Apollos,  James,  Sergius  Paulus, 
Festus,  Julius,  and  Publius. 

7.  The  moral  spirit  of  t lie  Book. 

No  clearer  or  more  impressive  sermon 
against  falsehood  has  ever  been  preached  than 
the  story  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira.  The 
writer  of  such  a  story,  we  cannot  believe,  would 
have  been  guilty  of  the  offence  he  so  terribly 
reproves.  Everywhere  "  there  is  manifest 
throughout  the  Book  of  Acts,"  says  Prof. 
Fisher,  "  a  penetrating  discernment  of  the 
sacredness  of  truth  and  the  obligation  of 
veracity."  The  Book  furnishes  a  bracing  moral 
atmosphere  for  a  student. 

8.  The  question  of  credibility  is  not  the  same  as 
the  question  of  inspiration.  Waiving  the  latter 
question,  if  only  the  Book  of  Acts   is  credible 


58 


what  is  the  consequence  to  each  earnest,  honest 

man  ? 

a.  To  the  non-Christian.  If  he  reads  it 
candidly,  he  will  feel  the  spell  of  — 

"  The  unheard  music  whose  faint  echoes  even 
Make  whosoever  hears  a  homesick  soul 
Thereafter,  till  he  follow  it  to  heaven." 

As  long  as  he  reads  this  Book  he  breathes 
air  fragrant  with  the  presence  of  the  living  and 
loving  Lord. 

h.  To  the  Christian.  Let  the  student  stop 
for  a  moment  to  think  of  a  few  of  the  practical 
lessons  from  the  Book, —  the  lesson  of  a  sim- 
ple, generous  Christian  life,  in  M'hich  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  a  vital,  dominating  power,  which  is 
filled  with  an  undimmed  sense  of  the  presence 
of  Christ,  which  seeks  and  occupies  the  place 
to  which  Christ  assigns  it,  and  — 

"  Striveth  not  to  please  God  more 
(Which  meaneth  otherwise)  than  as  God  please." 

Let  the  student  read  and  adopt  Waring's 
hymn  : 

"  Father,  I  know  that  all  my  life 
Is  portioned  out  for  me." 


59 

XI.     Lan(;ltage,  Style,  and  Text. 

The  Greek  is  purer  than  that  of  most  other 
Books  of  the  New  Testament,  and  purer  in  the 
latter  part  and  the  preface  than  elsewhere. 
The  Hebraisms  are  almost  always  found  in 
the  accounts  of  speeches. 

The  style  is  "  clear,  dignified,  and  lively." 
Michaelis  says,  the  writer  "  has  well  supported 
the  character  of  each  person  he  has  intro- 
duced as  delivering  a  public  harangue,  and 
has  very  faithfully  and  happily  preserved  the 
manner  of  speaking  which  was  peculiar  to  each 
of  his  orators." 

Text.  It  is  not  a  very  certain  text.  The  fol- 
lowing manuscripts  of  importance  contain  the 
Book  either  in  whole  or  in  part :  — 

Codex  Sinaiticus. 

Codex  Alexandrinus. 

Codex  Vatican  us. 

Codex  Ephraemi  Rescriptus. 

Codex  Bezae. 

Codex  Laudianus. 

For  a  brief  account  of  these  manuscripts, 
read  the  "  Summary  of  Documentary  Evi- 
dence "  in  Westcott  and  Hort's  Greek  Testa- 
ment. 


6o 


XII.     The  Relation  (^f  the  Acts  to  the 

GOSI'ELS. 

Let  the  student  note  the  historic  relations.  The 
presfent  lesson  is  rather  upon  the  spiritual  and 
doctrinal  relations.  The  last  chapter  of  the 
Gospel  of  John  seems  to  reach  forward  to  the 
Acts.  "  The  miracle,  which  had  already  fore- 
shadowed the  work  of  the  fishers  of  men,  is 
repeated,  but  with  altered  circumstances,  typi- 
cal of  the  change  which  was  at  hand.  For 
now  the  Lord  is  no  longer  with  them  in  the 
ship,  but  stands  dimly  seen  upon  the  shore  ; 
yet  from  thence  He  issues  His  directions  and 
shows  the  presence  of  His  power  working  with 
them  in  their  seemingly  lonely  toil.  Then  the 
charge  is  left  to  feed  His  sheep;  and,  lastly, 
the  future  destinies  of  the  two  chief  Apostles 
are  suffered  to  be  faintly  seen." 

I.  Luke's  Gospel  was  the  account  of  what  Jesus 
began  both  to  do  and  teach  until  the  day  in 
which  He  was  taken  up  after  that  He  through 
the  Holy  Ghost  had  given  commandments 
unto  the  Apostles  whom  He  had  chosen. 
The  first  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Acts  includes 
an  account  of  the  last  days  of  Christ  upon  the 
earth. 

The  Acts,  therefore,  overlaps  the  Gospels. 

Matthew  ends  with  Jesus  risen.     Matt,  xxviii. 

Mark  ends  with  Jesus  risen  and  ascended. 
Mark  xvi.  19. 

Luke  ends  with  Jesus  risen,  promising  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  ascended.     Luke  xxiv.  49-51. 


6i 


John  ends  with  Jesus  risen  and  promising 
the  Holy  Ghost  and  to  come  again.  John  xxi. 
14;  xiv.  16 ;  xiv.  3. 

The  Acts  begins  with  the  Resurrection,  the 
promising  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  His  re- 
turn, and  the  Ascension.  It  is  connected,  there- 
fore, with  Matthew  by  the  first,  with  Mark  by 
the  first  and  fourth,  with  Luke  by  the  first, 
second,  and  fourth,  with  John  by  the  first, 
second,  and  third, —  with  all  by  the  Great  Com- 
mission. The  Acts  meets  each  Gospel  some- 
where between  the  Cross  and  the  Crown. 

The  most  common  emphatic  testimony  of  the 
Gospels  is  to  the  Resurrection  and  the  Cruci- 
fixion. These  chords  are  repeatedly  struck  in 
the  Acts. 

(7.    The  Crucifixion, 

In  the  Gospels.  Matthew  xxvii.  35; 
Mark  xv.  25;  Luke  xxiii.  ■^t,;  John  xix. 
17,  18.  The  word  crucify  occurs  in  Matthew 
eleven  times,  in  Mark  nine  times,  in  Luke 
six,  and  in  John  twelve. 

In  the  Acts.  Acts  ii.  36;  ii.  23;  iii.  15; 
iv.  10;  X.  39. 

f'.    The  Resurrection. 

In  the  Gospels.  Matt,  xxviii.  16;  Mark 
xvi.  6;   Luke  xxiv.  6;  John  xx.  9. 

In  the  Acts.  i.  3,  22;  ii.  24;  iii.  15;  iv. 
10,  T,2)'^  X.  40;  xiii.  30;    xvii.  3,  31  ;  xxvi. 


62 


Reminiscences  in  the  Acts  of  the  works  a?id ivords 
of  Christ. 

a.  Acts  X.  38.  Compare  Matt.  iii.  16,  17*; 
xi.  4,  5 ;  John  viii.  29. 

b.  Peter's  vision  and  the  parable.  Acts  x. 
11-14;  Mark  vii.  15;  Matt.  xv.  15. 

c.  The  Holy  Ghost  and  John  the  Baptist. 
Acts  xi.  16;  Matt.  iii.  11  ;  John  i.  26,  2)3- 

7yie  Acts  is  a  record  of  the  fiilfillvieiit  of  prom- 
ises made  in  the  Gospels. 

a.  Of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

(I.)  As  a  help  in  utterance.  Matt.  x. 
19,  20;  Mark  xiii.  1 1.  Fulfilled  in  Acts  iv. 
8-12;  vii.  2-53;  xxii.  3-21.     Where  else? 

(II.)  As  an  abiding  power.  Luke  xxiv. 
49;  Acts  ii.  1-4;  viii.  19. 

b.  The  endurance  of  suffering  and  shame. 
Matt.  v.  II;  xxiv.  9 ;  Mark  xiii.  3 ;  Luke  vi. 
22;  John  XV.  18,  19;  Acts  v.  41  ;  vii.  54;  ix.  i  ; 
xxii.  22. 

The  frequency  and  the  maimer  of  the  mention  of 
Galilee  in  the  first  part  of  the  Acts. 

Note  the  music  of  the  names  of  places  as- 
sociated with  Christ.  Read  the  old  hymn 
"  Sweet  Galilee."  The  sweet  memories  of 
Galilee  seem  to  have  lingered  in  the  minds 
of  Christ's  friends,  and  the  word  is  recalled 
often.  Christ  had  been  closely  associated 
with   Galilee.      The  name  occurs  in   Matthew 


63 


seventeen  times,  in  Mark  twelve,  in  Luke  fif- 
teen, and  in  John  seventeen.  Look  up  the  pas- 
sages. It  occurs  in  Acts  i.  1 1 ;  ii.  7  ;  v.  37  ;  ix. 
31  ;  X.  37  ;  xiii.  31.  It  is  not  mentioned  in  the 
rest  of  the  New  Testament. 

(.      Mention   of  John   the   Baptist,  and  that  in  the 
most  widely  scattered  places,  shozoing  ivhere  the 
~     knowledge  of  the  forcruinwr  had  gone. 

a.  By  the  risen  Lord.     Acts  i.  5. 

b.  By  Peter.     Acts  i.  22;  x.  37;  xi.  16. 

c.  By  Paul.     Acts  xiii.  24,  25. 

d.  In  connection  witli  Apollos.  Acts  xviii. 
24,  25. 

e.  By  the  disciples  at  Ephesus.  Acts  xix. 
2-4. 

Pete)-  is  the  link  betjaeen  the  Gospels  and  the 
Acts. 

His  character  is  developed  to  be  sure,  l)ut 
some  of  the  same  root  traits  are  manifest. 

a.  Boldness.  Luke  xxii.  54,  55  ;  John  xxi. 
7  ;  Acts  iv.  13. 

b.  Leadership.  Matt.  xvii.  4 ;  John  xxi.  3 ; 
Acts  i.  15;  ii.  14. 

c.  Faith.  Luke  v.  5  ;  Matt.  xiv.  28,  29. 
Note  Bengel's  saying,  "  Mergere  nos  patitur 
sed  non  submergere  Christus."  Acts  x ;  iii. 
i-ii. 

d.  Self-will.  Luke  xxii.  2)3'^  John  xiii.  S; 
Acts  X.   13,  14. 


64 


e.  Teachableness.  Luke  ix.  20;  xxii.  62; 
Acts  iv.  13;  x;  XV.  7-1 1. 

The  place  of  the  Acts  in  the  development  of  doc- 
trine in  the  N^ew  Testament. 

Read  Bernard's  Progress  of  Doctrine.  The 
Acts  is  a  continuance  of  the  Gospels.  They 
relate  what  Jesus  began,  it  what  Jesus  con- 
tinued, to  do  and  teach.  The  authority  is  the 
same,  the  method  of  teaching  different.  Then 
it  was  by  the  personal  Christ,  bodily  present : 
now  through  the  Holy  Ghost  habitually  dwell- 
ing in  them.  This  was  an  expedient  change. 
John  xvi.  7.  It  was  an  advance.  In  the 
former  the  teaching  power  is  separated  from 
and  external  to  the  mind  taught;  in  the  latter 
it  is  interfused  and  commingled  with  it.  The 
words  in  the  one  are  divine  announcements, 
fitted  to  form  the  apprehensions  of  men ;  in 
the  other,  expressions  of  human  apprehensions 
already  formed  under  divine  agency.  The  facts 
were  all  finished  when  Jesus  was  glorified.  The 
Acts  must  go  on  to  the  interpretation  of  the 
facts,  manifesting  their  effects  in  the  world  of 
spirit  and  their  results  in  human  consciousness. 

There  is  then  an  advance  in  doctrine.  The 
general  character  is  shown  in  the  declaration, 
"  They  ceased  not  to  teach  and  preach  Jesus 
the  Christ."  Acts  viii.  5,  35;  ix.  20;  xi.  20; 
xvii.  18.  Compare  this  with  the  preaching  in 
the  Gospels.  Jesus  comes  preaching  the  King- 
dom of  God.     Luke  ix.  2;  Matt.  iv.  23;  Mark 


6s 


i.  14.  So  the  disciples  were  sent  out,  charged 
to  tell  no  man  that  He  was  Jesus  the  Christ. 
Matt.  xvi.  20.  They  were  forbidden  even  to 
tell  of  the  transfiguration  until  the  Son  of  Man 
should  be  risen  from  the  dead.  Matt.  xvii. 
9;  John  X.  24;  Mark  xiv.  61.  The  key-note 
changes  in  the  Acts.  In  Matthew  we  have  the 
idea  of  a  kingdom,  in  John  the  idea  of  a  per- 
son, predominant.  Acts  combines  them.  Acts 
viii.  12;  xxviii.  23,  31.  The  character  of  the 
preaching  is  changed.  Acts.  ii.  36.  So  also  is 
the  effect  changed.  Compare  the  little  company 
of  believers  when  Jesus  went  away  (Acts  i.  15; 
I.  Cor.  XV.  6;  Matt,  xxviii.  17)  with  the  large 
numbers  in  Acts  ii.  41,  vi.  7,  xxi.  20.  These 
were  works  wrought  in  fulfillment  of  Christ's 
promise.  John  xiv.  12.  The  preaching  in  the 
Acts  was  the  preaching  of  Jesus  and  the  Resur- 
rection, and  forgiveness  of  sins.  It  was  the 
idea  of  a  Divine  Person  living  in  individual 
lives  which  was  impressed  upon  men,  rather 
than  the  idea  of  a  kingdom,  of  an  institution, 
of  a  system. 


66 


XIII.     The  Relation  of  the  Acts  to  the 
Epistles. 

Its  special  relations  can  be  studied  best  in  connec- 
tion with  the  lives  of  the  men  mentioned  in 
the  Acts  and  the  Epistles.  View  it  now  gen- 
erally. 

1.  The  Acts  ftirnishes  the  setting  of  the  Epistles. 

a.  Suppose  the  book  of  Acts  did  not  exist. 
What  questions  would  the  first  verses  of  the 
Epistle  to  the  Romans  raise  in  your  mind  ? 

b.  The  Acts  gives  us  a  conception  of  the 
general  religious  conditions  of  the  time. 

c.  It  gives  us  a  better  view  of  the  historic 
relations  of  the  Epistles. 

2.  //  helps  to  answer  the  questions  raised  in  the  in- 
troduction to  the  Epistles,  especially  the  questions 
of  time  and  place  of  writing. 

Take  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  as  illustra- 
tion :  — 

a.     The  place. 

(i.)     Romans  xvi.  i ;  Acts  xviii.  i8. 
(II.)     Romans  xvi.  23;  I.  Cor.  i.  14. 
(III).     Romans  xvi.  23;  II.  Tim.  iv.  20; 
Acts  xix.  22. 

/'.     The  time. 

(I.)     Paul  had  not  yet  been  at  Rome. 
Romans  i.  11.     It  was  therefore  before  62. 


67 


(II.)  He  is  still  free  and  intending  to 
visit  Rome  after  he  has  been  at  Jerusalem. 
Romans  XV.  23-25;  Acts  xix.  21.  It  was 
before  59,  therefore,  because  he  was  a 
prisoner  then. 

(III).  He  is  approaching  the  end  of  his 
ministry  in  the  East.  Romans  xv.  19. 
He  could  not  have  written  these  words 
until  after  his  residence  at  Ephesus,  which 
terminated  at  Pentecost  in  the  year  57.  It 
was  written,  therefore,  between  57  and  59. 

(IV.)  He  was  apprehensive  of  harm  on 
his  approaching  visit  to  Jerusalem,  which 
was  near  at  hand.  Romans  xv.  30-32. 
What  passages  in  Acts  sound  like  this  ? 

(V.)  When  he  wrote  he  had  in  his 
hands  a  collection  for  the  poor  saints  at 
Jerusalem,  whither  he  was  bound.  Ro- 
mans xv.  26,  27  ;  Acts  xxiv.  17. 

(VI.)  It  was  written  after  I.  Corinthians, 
for  I.  Corinthians  was  written  — 

(i)     At  Ephesus.     I.  Cor.  xvi.  8. 

(2)  Before  the  collection  at  Corinth 
for  the  saints.     1.  Cor.  xvi.  i. 

(3)  Before  his  journey  to  Corinth 
via  Macedon.     I.  Cor.  xvi.  5. 

(VII.)  It  was  written  after  II.  Corinth- 
ians. 

(i)     II.     Corinthians     was     written 
from  Macedonia.     II.  Cor.  ii.  13. 


68 

(2)  At  this  time  he  did  not  have 
the  collection  from  Achaia.  II.  Cor. 
ix.  1-6. 

(VIII.)  Since  he  had  the  offering  of 
Achaia  when  he  wrote  to  the  Romans 
(Romans  xv.  26),  he  must  have  reached 
Corinth,  whither  he  was  journeying. 
II.  Cor.  ix.  4;  xiii.  i. 

(ix).     "We  learn  from  Acts  xx.  3,  that 
'Paul  was  three  months  in  Greece  and  left 
to  go  to  Jerusalem.     The  letter  was  written      ^ 
at  this  time,  probably  in  the  Spring  of   59. 

(X.)     It  was  not  later  than  this  for  — 

(i)  Paul  was  not  again  in  Corinth 
during  the  period  covered  by  the  Acts, 
in  which  period  Romans  was  written. 
Romans  i.  11. 

(2)  The  Jews  laid  wait  for  him  as 
he  was  about  to  sail  from  Greece  for 
Syria.  Acts  xx.  3.  He  changed  his 
route,  going  back  through  Macedonia. 
This  treachery  is  not  mentioned  in 
Romans  xv.  31,  where  the  enmity  of 
the  Jews  is  spoken  of.  Romans  was 
probably  written,  therefore,  before  his 
departure. 

(XI.)  Acts  XX.  6.  Paul  and  his  com- 
pany spent  the  days  of  unleavened  bread 
at  Philippi,  and  must,  therefore,  have  left 
Corinth   some    time  before  the   Passover, 


69 


and  yet  after  the  winter  was  over  and  the 
sea  clear,  for  he  had  intended  to  sail  for 
Syria. 

Acts  corroborates  the  Epistles  as  they  con-otmrate 
the  Acts. 

See  again  Paley's  Home  Patdinae. 

It  is  sufficient,  by  way  of  illustration,  to  note 
the  consistency  of  Acts  and  Epistles  in  their 
representation  of  the  source  of  the  persecutions 
to  which  Paul  was  subjected.  From  Gal.  iv. 
29,  V.  II,  vi.  17,  it  appears  that  these  persecu- 
tions were  from  the  hands  or  at  the  instigation 
of  the  Jews ;  that  they  were  prompted,  not  by 
Paul's  preaching  Christianity  in  opposition  to 
heathenism,  but  from  his  preaching  it  as  distinct 
from  Judaism.  This  perfectly  coincides  with 
what  we  learn  from  the  Acts.  Acts  ix.  23  ;  xiii. 
50;  xiv.  I,  2,  19;  xvii.  4,  5,  13;  xviii.  12. 

There  are  only  two  instances  where  Paul  was 
ever  assailed  by  the  Gentiles  of  their  own 
accoi-d,  not  stirred  up  by  the  Jews,  and  in  these 
two,  the  persons  who  incited  the  feeling  against 
him  were  moved  by  mercenary  motives.  Acts 
xvi.  19  ;  xix.  23-41. 

The  Resurrection  in  Acts  and  Epistles, 
a.     The  Acts. 

Find  all  the  passages  teaching  the 
Resurrection.  Notice  how  the  speeches 
generally  end  with  an  assertion  of  the 
Resurrection. 


70 


b.     The  Epistles. 

Romans  i.  4  ;  iv.  25;  vi.  4,  5,  9;  I.  Cor. 
XV.  12-23;  I^-  C<^^-  "^-155  Eph.  ii.  5;  Phil, 
iii.  ID;  Col.  iii.  i;  I.  Thess.  i.  to;  II.  Tim. 
li.  8  ;  I.  Peter  i.  3.  What  is  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  Resurrection  to  you  1 

Acts  mid  Epistles  are  consistent  in  their  repre- 
sentatioji  of  the  manner  of  PauPs  conversion. 

Acts  ix.  1-6;  xxii.  5-13;  xxvi.  12-18;  I.  Cor. 
XV.  8,  9;  Gal.  i.  13;  I.  Tim.  i.  13,  15. 

The  character  of  Paul. 

The  Acts  is  linked  to  the  Gospels  —  the 
past  —  by  Peter;  to  the  Epistles  —  the  future 
—  by  Paul.  His  Epistles  show  his  character 
more  fully,  but  it  is  the  same  character,  many 
of  whose  noble  traits  are  manifest  in  the  Acts. 

a.  His  tact  and  versatility. 

Acts  xvi.  27  ;  xvii.  22-32  ;  xxii. ;  xxiv. 
10;  xxvi.  26-29.  Notice  it  in  the  Epistle 
to  Philemon,  and  observe  his  own  testi- 
mony.    I.  Cor.  ix.  20-22. 

b.  His  sympathetic  nature. 

In  the  Acts.  xx.  19;  xxvii.  23-25,  33,  34  ; 
xxviii.  I  3. 

In  the  Epistles.  II.  Cor.  i.  7;  ii.  13; 
Phil.  ii.  27,  28  ;  I.  Tim.  i.  2  ;  II.  Tim.  i.  2; 
Philemon  i.  Observe  especially  Paul's  ten- 
derness, and  the  freedom  with  which  he 


71 


expressed  his  affection.  Love  saved  him 
from  many  blunders.  It  will  save  us. 
Read  Sill's  "  The  Fool's  Prayer." 

c.     Strict  conscientiousness. 

Acts  xxiii.  I  ;  xxiv.  i6;  xxvi.  9;  II.  Cor. 
i.  12;   II.  Tim.  i.  3;   Philemon  18. 

(i.     His  tenacity  of  purpose. 

Acts  XX.  24;  xxi.  13;  Phil.  iii.  13,  14; 
I.  Cor.  ix.  26;  II.  Tim.  iv.  7. 

Have   you   learned  this  lesson  ?     Have 

you  mastered  this  truth  ? 

"  We  rise  by  the  things  that  are  under  our  feet, 
By  what  we  have  mastered  of  good  and  of  gain, 
By  the  pride  deposed  and  the  passion  slain, 
By  the  vanquished  ills  that  we  hourly  meet." 

Recall  Sir  T.  Fowell  Buxton's  remark  : 
"  The  longer  I  live,  the  more  certain  I  am 
that  the  great  difference  between  men,  the 
feeble  and  the  powerful,  the  great  and  the 
insignificant,  is  energy  and  invincible  de- 
termination,—  a  purpose  once  fixed,  and 
then  death  or  victory.  That  quality  will 
do  anything  that  can  be  done  in  this  world, 
and  no  talents,  no  circumstances,  no  op- 
portunities, will  make  a  two-legged  crea- 
ture a  man  without  it." 

e.  Trace  his  utter  unselfishness  of  life  in  both 
Acts  and  Epistles,  observing  how  fully  he  ex- 
emplified the  words  of  good  Thomas  Fuller : 
"  The  good  soldier  begrudgeth  not  to  get  a 
probability  of  victory  by  the  certainty  of  his 
own  death,  and  fleeth  from  nothing  so  much  as 


72 

from  the  mention  of  flying ;  and  though  some 
say  he  is  a  madman,  our  soldier  knoweth  that 
he  shall  possess  the  reward  of  his  valor  with 
God  in  heaven,  and  also,  making  the  world  his 
executor,  leave  to  it  the  rich  inheritance  of  his 
memory.". 

f.  Faith  in  the  Scriptures. 

Acts  .xvi.    13-41  ;    xxiv.    14,   (compare 
Luke  xxiv.  25);  xxvi.  22;  xxviii.  23;  Rom. 
iii.  2;  iv.  3  ;  xvi.  26 ;  Gal.  iii.  18  ;  IT.  Tim. 
'    iii.  15-17- 

g.  Study  carefully  the  representation  of 
Paul  as  an  endurer  of  sufferings,  both  in  the 
Acts  and  in  the  Epistles.  Reflect  steadily  upon 
the  lessons  to  be  derived  from  such  a  study. 
Notice  the  proof  of  Ugo  Bassi's  words  : 

"The  vine  from  every  living  limb  bleeds  wine  : 
Is  It  the  poorer  for  that  spirit  shed? 
The  drunkard  and  the  wanton  drink  thereof; 
Are  they  the  richer  for  that  gift's  excess  ? 
Measure  thy  life  by  loss  instead  of  gain  ; 
Not  by  the  wine  drunk,  but  the  wine  poured  forth; 
For  love's  strength  standeth  in  love's  sacrifice, 
And  whoso  suffers  most  hath  most  to  give." 

The  Acts  forms  a  bridge  between  the  Gospels  and 
the  Epistles. 

Without  it,  open  Romans  and  read  "  Paul 
■AW  Apostle  *  *  *  *  to  all  that  be  in  Rome." 
The  questions  would  at  once  arise,  with  no 
means  of  answering  them:  Who  was  Paul.'' 
How  did  the  Gospel  get  to  Rome  ?  But  what 
is  the  doctrinal  relation  between  the  Acts  and 


73 


the  Epistles  ?  The  discourses  in  the  Acts,  save 
Paul's  speeches  at  Miletus  and  Jerusalem,  are 
addressed  to  those  who  were  not  Christians. 
But  how  were  men  taught  after  they  had 
believed  ?  The  design  of  the  Book  of  Acts  did 
not  include  an  answer  to  that.  "  The  facts  of 
the  manifestation  of  Christ  have  been  com- 
pleted and  have  been  testified  in  all  fullness  and 
certainty  by  the  witnesses  chosen  of  God. 
They  have  not  only  testified  of  the  facts. 
They  have  summed  them  up,  have  announced 
their  scope  and  purpose  in  the  councils  of  God, 
as  effecting  the  redemption  of  the  world,  and 
have  called  men  to  partake  in  the  fruits  of 
that  redemption  by  believing  and  being  bai> 
tized.  They  have  given  this  testimony,  not  as 
of  themselves,  but  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent 
down  from  heaven.  Thus  a  Holy  Church  is 
formed  which  proves  itself  Catholic,  expansive, 
but  unified.  Within  it  arises  a  communion  of 
saints ;  and,  in  one  faith,  its  members  believe 
they  have  found  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  the 
resurrection  of  the  body  and  the  life  everlast- 
ing." 

The  creed  is  complete.  Here  the  Book 
of  Acts  leaves  us.  But  this  was  a  new  world 
of  thought  to  the  Christians.  "  Into  it  they 
carried  all  the  tendencies  and  perversions  of 
our  nature,  and  revealed  truth  had  to  settle 
itself  in  lasting  forms,  find  adequate  expression 
and  have  its  moral  and  social  consequences 
deduced  under  influences  uncongenial  to  itself." 
So  critical  a  period,  on  which  the  whole  future 


74 


of  the  Gospel  hung,  cried  aloud  and  not  in 
vain  for  the  continued  action  of  the  living 
word  of  God.  The  Spirit,  therefore,  spoke  in 
the  Epistles.  The  point  to  note  now,  however, 
is  that  the  Acts  is  the  absolutely  essential  link 
between  the  Gospels  and  the  Epistles.  A  link 
is  an  incompleteness  and  the  Acts  in  itself  is 
incomplete.  It  is  a  Book  a  large  part  of  whose 
mission  was  the  preparation  for  larger  things 
to  come  after.  It  is  like  some  men  whose 
chief  glory  is  that  they  prepare  the  way  for 
other  men  and  help  in  their  development,  with- 
out whom  they  "should  not  be  made  perfect." 


75 
XIV.     The  Chronology  of  the  Acts. 

Critics  are  disagreed  upon  the  subject.  Let  the 
student  investigate  for  himself  and  fix  some  of 
the  more  important  dates 

I.  The  dates  of  the  four  following  events  are  more 
or  less  certain  :  — 

a.  xi.  28.  The  famine  in  the  days  of  Claud- 
ius, 44  and  45  A.D. 

b.  xii.  23.     The  death  of  Agrippa  I.,  44  A.D. 

c.  xviii.  2.  The  decree  for  the  expulsion  of 
the  Jews  from  Rome,  49  A.D-  Although  Pear- 
son makes  it  52  A.D. 

d.  xxiv.  27.     The  recall  of  Felix,  60  A.D. 

.2.       Contemporaneous  chronology. 
a.    The  Roman  Emperors. 

Make  a  list  of  them,  and  memorize  the 
list  with  the  dates  of  their  reigns. 

/;.    Procurators. 

Pontius  Pilate,  26-37  A.D. 
Claudius  Felix,  53-60  A.D. 
Porcius  Festus,  60-62  A.D. 

c.    Kings. 

Herod    Agnppa    I.,  39-44   A.D.      Acts 

xii.   I. 

Agrippa  II.,  King  of  Chalcis,  48  A.D. 
advanced  to  the  Tetrarchies  of  Philip  and 
Lysanias  subsequently. 


76 

d.    High  Priests. 

Caiaphas,  25-37  A.D. 
Jonathan,  37-38  A.D. 
Theophilus,  39-42  A.D. 
Simon,  42  A.D. 
Matthias,  42  A.D. 
Elionaeus,  43-45  A.D. 
Joseph,  45-47  A.D. 
Ananias,  47-59  A.D. 
Ishmael,  59-61. 
Joseph  Cabi,  61  A.D. 

3.  What  were  the  dates  of  the  ei'ents  recorded  in 
Acts  i.  g,  ii.  ^,  77'/.  ^8-60  ? 

4.  Chronology  of  main  e7<e)tts  in  PauPs  life. 

Conversion,     ix.  1-20.     36  A.D. 

First  ministry  in  Antioch.  xi.  25-30.  44, 
45,  A.D. 

First  missionary  journey,    xiii.,  xiv.    45  A.D. 

Second  missionary  journey,  xv.  36  -  xviii. 
22.     51-54  A.D. 

Second  ministry  in  Antioch.  xiv.  28  -  xv. 
35.     46-51  A.D. 

Apostolic  council,     xv.  6-29.     50  A.D. 

Third  missionary  journey.  xviii.  23  -  xxi. 
16.     54-58  A.D. 

Last  visit  to  Jerusalem,  xxi.  17-xxiii.  35. 
58  A.D. 

Imprisonment  in  Csesarea.  xxiv.-xxvi.  58- 
60  A.D. 


77 

Voyage  to  Rome,  xxvii  -  xxviii.  15.  60-61 
A.D. 

First  imprisonment  at  Rome,  xxviii.  16-31. 
61-63  A.D. 

i;.      Other  events. 

What  were  the  dates  of  the  conversion  of 
Cornelius,  the  founding  of  the  Antioch  Church, 
and  the  martyrdom  of  James  .'' 


78 
XV.     The  Geography  of  the  Acts. 

1.  M^hat  countries  are  referred  to  ? 

ii.  9-  II  (What  was  the  land  of  Elim  .'*     Com- 
pare   Genesis    x.   22;    Isaiah   xi.    11  ;    xxi.   22 
Daniel  viii.  2);  viii.  27;  xi.  19;  xv.  23;  xvi.  9; 
xviii.  2,  12.     Locate  all  these. 

2.  T/ie  seas. 

What  seas  were  included  in  that  part  of  the 
'  world  in  which  the  events  recorded  in  the  Acts 
occurred  ? 

2.       T/ie  islands. 

ii.  it;  iv.  36 ;  xvi.  1 1  ;  xx.  i  5 ;  xxi.  i  ;  xxviii. 

I,  12,  16. 

4.  The  proz'inces  of  Palestine. 

What  were  they?  Where  are  they  named 
in  the  Book  .'' 

5.  Provinces  of  Asia  Minor. 

vi.  9;  xiii.  13,  IJ  ;  xiv.  6;  xv.  23;  xvi.  6,  7; 
xviii.  2  ;  xxvii.  5. 

What  provinces  are  not  named  in  the  Book.'' 

6.  71ie  mountains  of  Palestine. 

Become  familiar  with  their  names  and  asso- 
ciations, and  locate  them,  not  forgetting  the 
following:  Olives,  Zion,  Ebal,  Gerizim,  Tabor, 
Lebanon,  Gilboa,  Hermon,  Carmel. 


79 

7.  The  plains  of  Palestine.. 

Locate  the  following:  Phoenicia,  Sharon, 
Philistia,  Esdraleon,  the  Negeb,  Hauran,  the 
Jordan  Valley. 

8.  The  tcmms  of  Palestine. 

Study  the  more  familiar  ones  in  each  of  the 
three  divisions  of  the  land.  Add  to  the  follow- 
ing list:     ii.  22;  iv.  i6;  viii.  26,  40;  ix.  32,  35, 

43- 

9.  Other  eities. 

ii.  10;  vi.  9;  ix.  2,  30;  xi.  20;  xii.  20;  xvi. 
14 ;  xxvii.  2. 

ID.     The  dimensions  of  Western  Palestine. 

Its  area  was  6,600  square  miles,  less  than 
the  area  of  Massachusetts. 

From  Dan  to  Beersheba  was  180  miles; 
from  Gaza  to  Sidon,  coastline,  iSo  miles; 
from  Dan  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  25  miles; 
from  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  Mediterranean,  pass- 
ing Gaza,  60  miles.  The  Jordan  Valley,  from 
Dan  to  the  Dead  Sea,  was  134  miles  long. 

1 1 .      JVatnral  divisions  of  Palestine. 

a.  The  Maritime  Plain,  8  to  20  miles  wide. 

b.  The  Shephelah,  foot  hills,  300  to  500  feet 
high. 


8o 


c.  The  mountain  region,  2,500  to  4,000  feet 
high. 

d.  Jordan  Valley,  2  to  14  miles  wide,  600  to 
1,000  feet  below  the  sea  level. 

e.  The  Eastern  table  land. 

12.    PanTs  fnissionary  journeys. 

Be  sure  to  master  the  geography  of  these,  so 
that  you  can  repeat  from  memory  his  route  on 
each  journey. 

a.  The  first  journey,  starting  from  Antioch. 
xiii.  4  —  xiv.  28. 

b.  The  second,  starting  from  Antioch.  xv. 
36  -  xviii.  22. 

c.  The  third,  starting  from  Antioch.  xviii. 
23-xxi.  15. 

d.  The  voyage  to  Rome,  xxvii.  i-xxviii. 
16. 


8i 


XVI.     Some  Summaries. 
The  discourses  of  tJie  Acts. 

ti.    Peter. 

i.  15-22;  ii.  14-40;  iii.  12-26;  iv.  8-12; 

iv.    19,  20;  V.  3,  4;  V.   29-32;  viii.   20-23; 

-^'-  34-43;  -^i-  5-17;  x^'-  7-1 1- 
/'.    The  Twelve. 

vi.  2-4. 

c.  Gamaliel. 

V-  34-39- 

d.  Stephen. 

vii.  2-53. 

<f.    James. 

XV.  13-21. 
/    Paul. 

xiii.  16-41;  xiii.  46,  47;  xiv.  15-17; 
xvii.  22-31  ;  XX.  7;  xx.  iS-35  ;  xxii.  1-21  ; 
xxiii.  1-6;  xxiv.  10-21  ;  xxv.  10,  ll; 
x.wi.  1-23;  xxviii.  17-20,  25-2S. 

j;;:    Tertullus. 
xxiv.  2-S. 

k.    Festus. 

'   xxv.  i4-2t,  24-27. 

/.    James  and  the  elders. 
xxi.  20-25. 

JMirnc/es. 

i.  3,  9,  II;  ii.  1-4  ;  iii.  i-io  ;  iv.  31  ;  v.  I-I  I, 
12-16,  19;  vi.  8  ;  viii.  13;  viii.  39,  40;  ix.  1-9, 
33^  34»  36-41  ;  X.  46;  xi.  28;  xii.  1-19;  xiii.  2, 


12;  xiv.  3,  8-10;  xvi.  16-lS,  25,  40;  xix.  6,  II, 
12,  15,  16  ;  XX.  6-12  ;  xxviii.  3-6,  8. 

With  regard  to  each  of  these  miracles,  let 
the  student  ask  the  following  questions- 
Where  wrought  ?  By  whom  ?  When?  How? 
With  what  result  ?  With  what  spiritual  mean- 
ing and  significance  ? 

3.  Giiidatice  by  visions. 

V.  19-21;  vii.  55;  viii.  26;  ix.  3,  10-16; 
X.  ;5-6,  11-16;  xii.  7;  xvi.  9;  xviii.  9,  10;  xxvii. 

23.  24. 

Study  each  one  of  these  discriminatingly, 
noticing  the  subjective  condition  of  the  person 
guided,  and  the  divine  purposes  in  the  guid- 
ance. 

What  general  spiritual  lesson  is  there  for  us? 

4.  Cojiversioits. 

ii.  41,  47;  iv.  4;  V.  14;  vi.  I;  viii.  6,  26-39; 
ix.  1-20,  31,  35,  42;  X.  24,  44;  xi.  21;  xii.  24; 
xiii.  12,  43,  48;  xiv.  I  ;  xvi.  5,  14,  15,  30;  xvii. 
4,  14,  34;  xviii.  8;  xix.  8;  xxviii.  24. 

Regarding  each  conversion,  notice  by  what 
human  agent  it  was  wrought.  What  means 
were  used?  What  part  did  personal  testimony 
and  the  Scriptures  play  ?  What  seems  to  have 
been  the  argument  which  had  the  greatest 
influence  ?  How  far  were  apologetics  used  ? 
What  did  the  converts  do?  Where  and  v/hen 
did  the  conversion  take  place  ?  Was  the  con- 
vert   Jew    or    Gentile  ?      Note    the   points    of 


83 


interest,  especially  the  intense  earnestness  of 
the  early  Christians  in  leading  men  to  Christ. 
They  knew  the  value  of  the  human  soul.  They 
knew  the  love  of  Christ  for  that  soul,  and  they 
wanted  each  soul  to  find  its  true  dwelling  place 
in  Him  as  Head. 

"  For  sadder  sight  than  eye  can  know, 
Than  proud  bark  lost  or  seaman's  woe, 
Or  battle  fire,  or  tempest  cloud, 
( )r  prey-bird's  shriek,  or  ocean  shroud. 
The  shipwreck  of  a  soul." 

c;.       Letters. 

XV.  23-29  ;   x.\iii.  26-30. 

6.  Assaults,  personal  abuse,  aud persecution. 

V.  41  ;  viii.  i,  3;  xix.  I,  2,  23,  29;  xi.  19;  xii. 
3,  4,  5;  xiii.  45,  50;  xiv.  2,  5,  19;  xvi.  20,  23; 
xvii.  5;  xviii.  12;  xix.  29;  xx.  3;  xxi.  27  ;  xxii. 
25 ;   xxiii.  2,  10,  12. 

Who  instigated  these  attacks?  Who  made 
them  .•'  What  was  the  motive  ."*  What  was  the 
result  ?  "  Truth,  like  a  torch,  the  more  it's 
shook,  the  more  it  shines." 

7 .  ///// ;  '/ji  iiuiiejit. 

iv.  3;  V.  iS;  xii.  3,  4.  5  5  ^^'i-  -3  ?  -^'^i"-  'O- 35J 
xxiv.  27  ;  xxviii.  16,  30. 

Inquire  who  was  imprisoned.  By  whom  and 
where  ?  For  what  offences  and  how  long  ? 
What  was  their  attitude  during  their  imprison- 
ment and  how  were  thev  liberated  .? 


H 


8.  J/arfyrs. 

vii.  54-60 ;  xii.  2. 

Eusel)ius  relates,  from  a  work  of  Clemens, 
who  received  it  from  tradition,  that  the  accuser 
of  James  was  converted  by  the  confession  which 
James  made,  and  went  with  James  to  martyr- 
dom, having  been  first  kissed  by  him,  with  the 
words,  "  Peace  be  to  thee." 

9.  Trials  or  Jwarings. 

a.  Before  Jewish  councils. 

iv.  6;   V.  21-27  ;  ^^-  I-;  xxii.  30;  xxiii. 

b.  Before  Roman  magistrates  or  rulers  of 
cities. 

xvi.    20;  xvii.    6;     wiii.    12;    x.\ii.    24; 
xxiv.  I  ;  XXV.  6,  23. 

c.  Before  irresponsible  heathen. 

xix.  29. 

10.  Svnai^Pi^itcs  7LiJicrc  the  Gospd  7vas  preachciL 

Let  the  student  get  from  some  good  book, 
such  as  Conybeare  and  llowson's  "  Life  of 
.Paul,"  a  true  idea  of  the  conditions  of  the  Jews 
at  the  time,  understanding  the  centralizing 
tendencies  of  Palestinian  Judaism  and  the 
centrifugal  tendencies  of  the  Diaspora  with  the 
Septuagint  and  the  synagogue.  Note  how  the 
break    came  gradually    between    Judaism   and 


85 


Christianity,    and     how    for    a   long    time    the 
Gospel  was  preached  first  to  the  Jew. 

Observe,  first  of  all,  that  the  Apostles  con- 
tinued to  go  to  the  temple,  iii.  i,  ri;  v.  21, 
42.  Observe,  further,  Paul's  course  of  action, 
xiii.  5,  14;  xiv.  i;  xvii.  I,  2,  10,  17;  xviii.  4, 
26;  xix.  8.  The  Jews,  with  the  little  company 
of  proselytes  gathered  around  them,  offered  a 
field  in  which  the  Gospel  story  was  first  told  in 
every  city.  Strabo  declared,  "  Already  a  Jew- 
ish population  has  entered  every  city,  and  it  is 
not  easy  to  find  a  place  in  the  habitable  world 
which  has  not  received  this  race  and  is  not 
possessed  by  it."  Paul  began  his  Christian 
service  this  Way  (ix.  20),  following  in  the  foot- 
steps of  One  who  had  "  taught  in  the  syna- 
gogues, being  glorified  in  all."  Luke  iv.  1 5. 
Compare  Matt.  iv.  23;  ix.  35;  xiii.  54;  Mark 
i.  2r,  39;   vi.  2;   Luke  xiii.  10;  John  .xviii.  29. 

II.     Coiimils  of  C/iristiaiis. 

i.  13,  15;  ii.  i;  v.  2;  vi.  2;  xi.  2;  xii.  1 2  •, 
xiv.  27  ;  XV.  4-30;  XX.  17  ;  xxi.  iS. 

Having  carefully  studied  these  and  the  spirit 
which  marks  them,  how  far  are  you  prepared 
to  agree  with  Lightfoot's  words,  "  However 
great  may  be  the  theological  differences  and 
religious  animosities  of  our  own  time,  they  are 
far  surpassed  in  magnitude  by  the  distractions 
of  an  age  which,  closing  our  eyes  to  facts,  we 
are  apt  to  invest  with  an  ideal  excellence".'' 


86 


1 2.    Disputations. 

vi.  9;  ix,  22,  29;  xvii.  17;  xviii.  28;  xix.  9; 
xxviii.  17-29. 

Observe  in  each  case  the  persons,  the  circum- 
stances, the  spirit,  and  the  issue. 


87 


XVII.     The  Substance  of  the  Chapters. 

Chapter  I.  Introduction.  Last  days  of  Jesus. 
His  ascension.  The  ffrst  prayer  meeting.  The 
choice  of  the  twelftli  Apostle. 

Chapter  XVIII.  Paul  leaves  Athens  and  goes  to 
Corinth  ;  from  there  to  Ephesus ;  and  thence 
to  Caesarea,  Jerusalem  and  Antioch.  The  ap- 
jiearance  of  Apollos. 

Analyze  each  chapter  in  this  way,  summariz- 
ing results,  so  that  the  substance  of  the  whole 
Book  is  at  your  tongue's  end.  Be  able  to  tell 
in  which  chapter  any  given  event  occurs,  and 
what  events  are  contained  in  any  given  chap- 
ter. 

Pick  out  some  one  verse  in  each  chapter  which 
is  the  best  representative  verse.  Compare  the 
Revised  Version  with  the  King  James  Version, 
and,  if  you  are  able,  with  the  Greek.  Constantly 
repeat  these  verses.  They  will  help  in  the 
mastery  of  the  Book,  and  in  your  own  practi- 
cal life. 


88 

XVIII.     The  Characters  of  the  Acts. 

I.      Simon  Peier. 

a.    His  life. 

(I.)  His  life  as  recorded  in  the  Book  of 
Acts.  - 

Study  the  following  events  in  their 
order : — 

(i)  i.  13.  Notice  the  position  of 
his  name  in  the  list  of  Apostles.  He 
is  first.  Compare  Matt.  x.  2  ;  Mark 
ill.  16 ;  Luke  vi.  14. 

(2)  i.  15-22. 

(3)  ii-  M-39- 

(4)  iii.  1-26;  iv.  1-4. 

(5)  i\--  5---- 

(6)  V.    T-II. 


V.    1 


(S)   V.  18-33. 

(9)  ^i-  1-4- 

(10)  viii.  14-17. 

(11)  viii.  18-24. 
(i  2)   viii.  25. 

(13)  ix.  32-43.     Is  anything  implied 
here  as  to  Peter's  habit  of  itinerating? 

(14)  X.  1-48. 

(15)  xi.  1-18. 

(16)  xii.  3-19. 

(17)  XV.   7-1 1.      With    this   he   dis- 
appears from   the  Book  of  Acts. 

(II.)      Subsequent  references  to  him  in 
the  New  Testament. 


89 

He  is  mentioned  in  I.  Peter  i.  J  ; 
11.  Peter  i.  i;  Gal.  i.  i8;  ii.  11-21; 
I.  Cor.  i.  12;  iii.  22;  ix.  5.  Enrich 
your  account  of  his  life  with  whatever 
you  can  gain  from  these  sources. 

(III.)     His  life  after  the  Book  of  Acts 
leaves  him. 

Almost  everything  is  traditional,  and  the 
traditions  are  not  well  founded.  We  are 
told  that  from  35--^o  he  was  Bishop  of 
Antioch,  that  he  went  to  Rome  in  40  and 
was  bishop  there  for  twenty-five  years, 
leaving  occasionally  for  missionary  jour- 
neys. During  the  Neronian  persecutions 
he  is  said  to  have  yielded  to  the  prayer 
of  the  Christians  and  to  have  gone  out  to 
escape  from  Rome,  but  as  he  was  depart 
ing  from  the  Porta  Capena  a  little  way,  he 
met  the  Lord  carrying  His  cross  and  said 
to  him,  "  Lord,  whither  goest  thou  ?  "  "I 
go  to  Rome,"  said  Jesus,  "  to  be  crucified 
again  for  thee."  Peter  turned  back  and 
was  imprisoned  in  the  TuUianum,  converted 
the  jailer,  baptising  him  from  a  miracu- 
lously provided  spring.  He  was  executed 
the  same  day  as  Saint  Paul,  crucified  or. 
the  top  of  the  Janiculum,  parting  from 
Paul  on  the  Ostian  road.  By  his  own 
request  he  was  crucified  head  downward, 
because,  Jerome  says,  "  he  asserted  he  wa> 
unworthy  to  be  crucified  in  the  same 
manner  as  his  Lord." 


90 

Regarding  all  this  it  is  to  be  said : 

(i)  The  notion  that  Peter  Avas 
Bishop  of  Antioch  from  33-40  is  in- 
consistent with  clear  statements  in  the 
Acts,  by  which  Paul  and  Barnabas  are 
shown  to  us  as  the  leaders  and  virtual 
founders  of  the  Church  at  Antioch. 

(2)     If    Peter   had    ever    been    at 
Rome    before    64  it    is   inconceivable 
that  neither  in  the  Book  of  Acts  nor 
in  any  Epistles  do  we  find  any  refer- 
ence to  it. 
Can  we  infer  from   I.  Peter  v.   13  that 
Peter  had  preached   in    Babylon  ?     Some 
think  the  term  symbolical,  but  it  is  doubt- 
less the  real  Babylon  to  which  he  refers.     It 
has  been  noted  that  the  provinces  named 
in  I.  Peter  i.  are  named  in  proper  geograph- 
ical  order  from   east   to  west,   as   though 
he  began  with  those  nearest  to  him  and 
lifted  his  eyes  and  his  heart  to    the  prov- 
inces, in  their  order,  which  lay  l:>eyond. 

(iv.)  Peter  was  probably  married.  I. 
Cor.  ix.  5  implies  it,  and  Clemens  of  Alex- 
andria says,  "  Peter  and  Philip  had  chil- 
dren, and  both  took  about  their  wives, 
who  acted  as  their  coadjutors  in  minister- 
ing to  women  at  their  own  homes," 

(\'.)  The  student  is  familiar  with  the 
connection  between  Peter  and  Mark. 

(1)  Papias,  who  was  a  direct 
hearer  of  John,  says,  "This,  also,  the 


9^ 

elder  used  to  say,  Mark  having  become 
Peter's  interpreter  wrote  accurately 
all  that  he  remembered  (or  that  Peter 
mentioned),  though  he  did  not  (record) 
in  order  that  which  was  said  or  done 
by  Christ." 

(2)    The  connection  between  Mark's 

Gospel  and  Peter  is  very  interesting. 

(a)  Peter  is  mentioned  by  Mark 

where  his  name  is  omitted  by  the 

other   Evangelists.     Mark  i.   36; 

ix.  21  ;  xiii.  3  ;  xvi.  7. 

{d)  Peter's  name  is  omitted  by 
Mark  where  it  is  mentioned  by 
the  other  Evangelists. 

Compare 

Mark  vii.  17  :  Matt.  xv.  15. 

Mark    vi.    50,    51:     Matt,    xiv.* 
28-31. 

Mark  ix.  1,3  '■  Matt.  xvii.  24-29. 

Mark  ii.  29,  30 :  Matt.  xvi. 
17-19. 

Mark  xiv.  13:  Euke  xxii.  S. 
Luke  xxii.  31,  32. 

(c)  Mark's  Gospel  contains 
some  things  humiliating  to  Peter. 
Mark  viii.  2^;  xiv.  72.  He  does 
not  say  that  Peter  "wept  bitterly," 
as  in  Matt.  xxvi.  75,  and  he  shows 
the  greatness  of  Peter's  offence, 
in  that  he  represents  the  cock 
as  crowing  twice.     Moreover,  he 


92 

gives  to  Mary  Magdalene  the 
honor  of  being  the  first  to  see 
Jesus  after  His  Resurrection. 
Mark  xvi.  9. 

(VI.)  Of  Peter's  end  we  do  not  clearly 
know,  but  it  is  probable  that  he  was  cruci- 
fied. Tradition  relates  it.  The  prophecy 
of  Jesus  in  John  xxi.  18  maybe  understood 
to  indicate  it,  and  Peter  evidently  construed 
it  as  a  prophecy  of  his  death.  II.  Peter 
i.  14. 

(VII.)    Some  special  points. 

(i)     His     prominence     among     the 
Apostles. 

{(i)  He  is  spokesman  of  the 
Twelve,  i.  15;  ii  14.;  iv.  8;  v. 
29. 

{/>)  In  ii.  37,  X.  29,  his  name 
alone  of  the  Apostles  is  men- 
tioned. 

((■)  He  possessed  no  special 
authority,  however. 

The  other  Apostles  sent  him 
to  Samaria.  viii.  14-17.  The 
church  at  Jerusalem  indignantly 
calls  him  to  account  for  haxing 
baptized  and  eaten  with  Cor- 
nelius and  his  family,  xi.  1-17. 
At  the  Jerusalem  council  he  did 
not  preside,  and  he  neither  called 
nor  dismissed   the  council.-    His 


93 

advice  was  not  based  on  any  per- 
sonal   or    official     authority,    but 
only  on   undoubted  facts,     xv.  7, 
{tf)  Testimony  of   Paul.      Gal. 
ii.  9,  11-13- 
(2)   When  was  he  at  Rome  > 
The  traditions  are  profuse  and  dis- 
cordant.    The  statement  that  he  came 
to  Rome  in  the  reign   of  Claudius  in 
42   is   first    found    in    Eusel^ius    three 
centuries   afterwards,  and   cannot    be 
reconciled  with  Paul's  letters  and   the 
Acts. 

{a)  xii.  17.  We  know  Peter 
left  Jerusalem  for  a  time  after 
the  death  of  James,  but  this  was 
44  A.D.,  and  he  was  at  Jerusalem 
at  the  council  in  50. 

(/;)  Peter  was  not  at  Rome  in 
59  when  Paul  wrote  to  the  Rom- 
ans, for  no  salutations  were  sent 
to  him.  He  was  not  there  when 
Paul  came  as  prisoner,  or  Luke 
would  certainly  have  mentioned 
it.  He  was  not  there  61-63,  for 
no  salutations  are  sent  from  him 
to  those  to  whom  the  four  letters 
written  then  by  Paul  were  sent. 
He  was  not  there  in  66,  67,  when 
Paul  wrote  his  last  Epistles. 

(c)    If  he   was  ever  there,  and 
such   unanimity  of    tradition   ap- 


94 

pears  to  indicate  that  he  was,  it 

must  have  been  at  the  close  of 

his  life,  for  a  short  while  only. 

(3)   His  relation  to  Paul.     There  is 

no    intimation    of   any   opposition   in. 

the  Acts.     From  Gal.  ii.   ii-2[,  it  is 

plain  there  was  dissension  at  Antioch. 

From    Acts    xv.   7-1 1,  it   is    evident, 

however,  that   Peter  saw  clearly,  and 

agreed  with  Paul. 

(VIII.)    His  personal  appearance. 

It  has  been  surmised  that  he  was 
"  a  man  of  much  larger  and  stronger 
form  than  Paul's,  as  his  character  was 
harsher  and  more  abrupt.  The  quick 
impulses  of  his  soul  betrayed  them- 
selves in  the  flashes  of  a  dark  eye. 
The  complexion  of  his  face  was  pale 
and  sallow,  and  the  short  hair,  which 
was  described  as  entirely  grey  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  curled  black  and 
thick  around  his  temples  and  his  chin, 
when  he  stood  at  Antioch  with  Paul 
twenty  years  before  his  martyrdom." 

b.    The  speeches  of  Peter. 

(I.)      His  three  missionary  sermons. 

ii.  14-40;  iii.  12-26;  X.  26-48.  Note 
the  occasion,  the  quotations  from  the 
Old  Testament,  the  line  of  thought, 
his  adaptation  to  the  prejudices  of 
the  hearers,  his  appeal  to  his  own 
personal    knowledge,    and    his  coura- 


95 


geoLis  personal  application  of  the  truth. 
Analyze  these  sermons,  and  notice 
how  each  one  of  them  leads  up  to 
Christ. 

(II.)     Shorter  speeches  before  the  San- 
hedrim. 

iv.  8-12,  19,20;  V.  29-32.  Notice 
the  boldness  of  the  preacher,  his  care- 
lessness of  personal  harm,  his  neglect 
of  shame,  his  loyalty  in  preaching 
Christ,  and  the  results. 
(III.)    Utterances  within  the  Church. 

(i)  Prayers,  i.  24,  25;  iv.  24-30. 
Did  Peter's  voice  offer  these  prayers .'' 

(2)  Brief  addresses,  i.  16-22 ;  v. 
3-9;  vi.  2-4;  vii.  20-23;  xi.  4-iS; 
XV.  7-17.  What  was  the  occasion  of 
each  of  these  addresses,  and  what 
elements  of  Peter's  character  did 
they  display  ? 

The  teaching  of  these  speeches. 
(I)     x\bout  God. 

(i)   His  attributes. 

Omniscient,     i.  24. 
Truthful.     V.  4. 
Jealous,     iv.  19. 
Forgiving,     viii.  22. 
(2)   His  relations. 
((/)  To  men. 

Revealed  Himself  to  them 
by  the  prophets.  Acts  ii.  17; 
iii.  18,  21. 


96 

Supreme  in  His  claims,   iv. 
19. 

Impartial,     x.  34. 
{d)  To  Christ. 

He  approved  Him.     ii.  22. 
Anointed  Him.     x.  38. 
Raised  Him  from  the  dead, 
ii.  30,  32  ;  V.  30  ;  x.  40. 

He  exalted   Him.     ii.  36; 
V.  31;  iii.  13. 

Note  also  iii.  20 ;  x.  42. 
(r)   To  the  Jews.     ii.  13,  25. 
(</)  To  nature,     iv.  24. 
(/')    To   His  Church,      v.  4;  v. 
32;  xi.  17. 

(/')  To  the  Apostles,     i.  24;  x. 

40,41- 

{x)  To  the  Holy  Spirit,     xv.  8. 

(//)  And  to  events,  ii.  23;  iv. 
27,  28;   X.  4r  ;  XV.  7. 

(11.)     Al)out  Christ. 

(1)  His  person. 

((/)  True  son  of  (lod.  ii.  36; 
iii.  13,  15;  iv.  27. 

(/>)  True  Son  of  Man.  i.  21; 
ii.  22  ;  iii.  22  ;  iv.  27  ;  x.  41 

(2)  His  work. 

{(i)  What  was  He  as  to  His 
work.''     ii.  36;  iii.  22;  iv.  27. 

{/>)  What  He  was  to  do.  iii. 
26;   V.  31  ;  ix.  34;  X.  38.1   - 


97 

(3)  His  death. 

{a)  Crucified.      ii.    23,   36     iii. 
10;  V.  30;  X.  39. 

{/?)   Light  in  which    His  death 
was  regarded. 

{(■)    Some  steps  in  His  work. 

(i)  Pre-determined  by  God. 
ii.  23;  iv.  27,  28. 

{2)  None  the  less,  those  who 
slew  him  were  guilty,  ii.  23  ; 
iii.  13-15. 

(3)  As  suffering  to  Him.  iii. 
18. 

(4)  His  Resurrection. 

i.  22  ;   ii.   24  ;  iii.    15  ;  iv.  10; 
V.  30  ;  X.  40. 

(5)  His  exaltation. 

i.  22;  ii.  33;  iii.  13;  i^'-  ^'J  ^'-3^; 
X.  36. 

(6)  His  second  coming. 

iii.  19-21;  X.  42. 

(in.)     About  the  Holy  Ghost. 

(i)   How  did   He  come  ?     ii.    T^y,  v, 
32  ;  X.  2^- 

(2)  What  does  He  do  ? 

{a)   Fills  the  Church,     v.  3. 
{/;)  Witnesses,     v.  32. 
[c)   Qualifies  for  service,     vi.  3; 
X.  38. 

{(f)  Directs,     xi.  12. 


98 

(3)  How  may  I  obtain  Him  ? 
(a)  A  gift.     XV.  8. 
{/>)   Conditions,     ii.  38  ;  v.  32. 

(IV.)     About  the  Apostles. 

(i)  Any  order   among  them?     xii. 

I/- 

(2)  Qualifications,     i.  21,  22. 

(v.)     About  salvation. 

(i)   How  secured  to  men?     ii.   36; 
iv.  12  ;  XV.  1 1. 

(2)  For  whom  secured?     ii.  21,39; 
V.  31;  X.  35,  43- 

(3)  Upon  what  conditions  obtained? 

{a)  Repentance,  ii.  38;  iii.  19; 
V.  31;  viii.  22. 

{d)  Change,   iii.  19;  viii.  22,  23. 

(c)  Faith,     iii.  16;  x.  43;  xi.  17; 
XV.  7,  9. 

In  what?  xi.  14.  Study  the 
use  of  "Name."  ii.  21,  38;  iii. 
6,  16;  iv.  10,  12,  30;  X.  43. 

(VI.)     About  the  means  of  grace. 

(i)  Baptism,     ii.  38;  x.  47  ;  xi.  16. 

(2)  The  word.     i.  16;  iii.  18;  iv.  25. 

(3)  Preaching. 

(a)  Of  the  word.    vi.  2,  4;  xv.  7. 

(d)  Of  the  Resurrection. 
Preaching   was   a   witnessing   to 


99 

this.     i.  22;  ii.  32;  iii.  15;  iv.  13, 
20;  V.  32;  X.  39,  42. 

(c)  Of  Christ,     iii.  20. 

{c/)  Of  peace,     x.  36. 

(VII.)  About  sin.  v.  1-12;  viii.  23. 
But  it  can  be  removed,     ii.  2^;  iii.  19;  v.  31. 

(VIII.)  About  prophecy.  Study  Peter's 
quotations  from  the  Old  Testament.  Ob- 
serve the  following  and  add  to  this  list: 
i.  16-20;  ii.  17-21,  25-28,  30,  34,  35;  iii. 
18,  21-24;  i^'-  ii>  25,  26. 

d.    His  character. 

(i)       Boldness,     iv.  13, 

(11.)     Leadership,     ii.  14. 

(III.)  Faith,     iii.  i-ii. 

(IV.)    Self-will.     X.  13,  14. 

(v.)    Teachableness,     iv.  13. 

(VI.)  A  man  of  prayer,  iv.  24-30;  viii. 
15;  ix.  40. 

(VII.)     Obedience,     x. 

(VIII.)   Generosity,     xv.  7-11. 

(IX.)  Forgiving.  Compare  what  you 
learn  from  Acts  with  Gal.  ii.  ii;  II.  Peter 
iii.  15.  In  their  lives  these  two  were 
friends,  and  in  their  deaths  they  were  not 
divided.  See  Stanley's  Sermons  and  Essays 
on  the  Apostolical  Age. 


lOO 

Barnabas. 

The  key  to  his  character  is  found  in  xi.  24. 

a.  First  mentioned  in  iv.  36. 

(I.)  His  name.  Not  Barsabas,  i.23,  but 
Barnabas,  literally  "  son  of  exhortation." 
xi.  23. 

(11).  His  tribe.  He  was  a  Levite,  yet 
he  owned  land.  How  do  you  account  for 
this .? 

(ill.)  His  country  ? 

(IV.)    His  generosity .'' 

(V.)  Did  his  act  have  any  influence  in 
Cyprus  ?  Might  it  not  have  commended 
the  Gospel  to  some  of  his  old  neighbors  ? 
Acts.  xi.  12-20. 

b.  Second  mention  of  his  name  in  Acts  ix. 
27. 

c.  Barnabas  at  Antioch.  xi.  22.  Contrast 
his  attitude  toward  the  Gentiles  with  Peter's,  xi. 
25,  26;  xi.  27,  30;  xii.  12.  Were  Barnalias  and 
Saul  in  this  prayer  meeting?  xii.  25;  xiii.  i. 
This  last  reference  names  Barnabas  first  and 
Saul  last.  Study  each  one  of  the  events  indi- 
cated in  these  passages  in  detail.  Where  else 
in  the  Bible  does  the  word  "Christian  "  occur.'* 

d.  The  missionary  journey.  Acts  xiii.,  xiv. 
Trace  their  course  on  the  map.  Notice 
where  the  name  Saul  changes  to  Paul.  Where 
does  Mark  leave  them  .-*  Where  does  the  order 
Barnabas  and  Saul  give  place  to  I'aul  and 
Barnabas .-'     Why   is  the  order  Barnabas   and 


lOI 

Paul  used  in  Acts  xv.  12,  25  ?  What  does  the 
mistaking  of  Barnabas  for  Jupiter  and  of  Paul 
for  Mercury  imply  as  to  their  personal  appear- 
ance ? 

e.  The  council  at  Jerusalem,  xiv.  28 ;  xv. 
1-31.  What  was  the  result?  Who  were  sent 
back  to  Antioch  ?  How  did  the  Antioch 
Christians  regard  the  message  from  Jerusalem? 

f.  Paul  and  Barnabas  separate.  Acts  xv. 
35-41.  What  was  the  result  of  the  quarrel  as 
to  the  amount  of  missionary  work  done  ?  What 
was  the  cause  of  it  ?  Who  was  right  ?  Had 
Gal.  ii.  13  anything  to  do  with  the  dissension? 
Did  Paul  and  Barnabas  ever  meet  again  ?  The 
quarrel  is  a  commentary  on  Acts  xiv.  15,  and 
James  v.  17.  The  Greek  word  for  contention 
indicates  a  brief,  violent  altercation  not  lasting 
long.  At  any  rate  Paul  kept  a  high  opinion  of 
Barnabas.  In  Col.  iv.  10  he  commends  Mark 
because  of  his  relationship  to  Barnabas,  and  in 
the  end  he  accepts  Barnabas's  view  of  Mark. 
n.  Tim.  iv.  Ti;  Philemon  24.  In  I.  Cor.  ix.  6 
he  makes  honorable  mention  of  Barnabas,  and 
one  can  imagine  that  he  pointed  out  Cyprus  to 
Luke  and  Aristarchus  on  his  way  to  Rome 
(xxi.  3),  and  told  them  lovingly  of  the  good 
man  who  had  been  as  a  father  to  him  as  he 
began  his  service  of  Christ. 

g.  Traditions. 

Eusebius  and  Clemens  Alexandrinus  say 
that  Barnabas  was  one  of  the  seventy. 
Luke  x.    I.     Some    say   that    he   became 


I02 

Bishop  of  Milan  ;  others,  that  he  preached 
in  Rome  and  converted  Clemens ;  still 
others,  that  he  died  a  martyr  in  Cyprus. 

h.    His  character. 

(i.)  He  counted  the  interests  of  his 
cause  greater  than  his  personal  interests, 
iv.  36. 

(II.)  He  had  a  good  judgment  of  men 
rather  than  of  issues.  He  was  like  Andrew 
somewhat.  Andrew  brought  Peter  to 
Jesus ;  Barnabas  brought  Paul  and  Mark 
into  larger  service. 

(ill.)  He  was  of  slow  and  gentle  tem- 
per and  yielded  the  first  place  to  Paul 
without  a  murmur  of  dissent.  Perhaps  it 
was  this  assumption  of  the  first  place  by 
Paul  which  was  the  cause  of  Mark's 
leaving  them. 

* 
(IV.)     He  was    calm,   sympathetic,   and 

conservative,  rather  than  enthusiastic  and 
progressive.  Thus,  he  would  have  com- 
promised at  Antioch  under  the  infiuence 
of  Peter's  dissimulation.  He  stood  firm, 
however,  at  Jerusalem.  And  he  was  lib- 
erally broad  minded. 

(V.)  He  was  a  good  man.  There  is 
more  in  being  good  than  most  college  men 
think. 

(VI.)  Full  of  faith.  He  had  faith  in  the 
goodness  that  there  was  in  man  and  he  had 


I03 

faith  in  God,  so  great  that  he  gave  all  his 
means  of  support  away  for  His  service. 

(vn.)  And  the  Holy  Ghost  filled  him. 
Acts  ii.  24. 

The  epitaph  of  "  Chinese "  Gordon 
might  have  been  written  over  Barnabas, 
changing  the  name  :  "  Here  lies  the  body 
of  Gen.  Chas.  Gordon,  who  everywhere 
and  at  all  times  gave  his  strength  to  the 
weak,  his  substance  to  the  poor,  his  sym- 
pathy to  the  suffering,  and  his  heart  to 
God." 

Stephoi. 

He  was  one  of  the  formative  characters  of 
the  early  church.  He  was  a  deacon,  but  he 
shot  far  ahead  of  his  fellow  deacons  and  of  his 
office  too. 

a.    vi.  3. 

/'.  His  work.  vi.  7— ro.  With  what  syna- 
gogues did  he  dispute  ? 

c.  The  accusation,  vi.  11-13.  Where  was 
the  trial  ?     Was  the  accusation  true  ? 

d.  Stephen's  appearance,     vi.  i  5. 

e.  The  trial.  It  was  before  the  Pharisaic 
party,  for  they  were  now  in  the  majority,  v. 
34;  vii.  51.  Compare  vii.  i  with  Mark  xiv. 
60-63. 

f.  Stephen's  defence. 

Notice  its  consummate  tact,  its  resemblance 
to  Hebrews  xi. 


I04 

Two  latent  principles  seem  to  have  governed 
his  selection  of  facts. 

(r.)  Even  in  previous  Jewish  history 
the  presence  and  favor  of  God  had  not 
been  confined  to  the  Holy  Land  or  to  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem,  vii.  2,  4,  5,  6,  8-13; 
20-22,  29,  30-33,  36,  44,  45,  47-5^-  Com- 
pare John  iv.  2 1 -2d. 

(ir.)  From  the  earliest  times  there  was 
a  tendency  toward  the  narrow  and  ungrate- 
ful spirit  now  characterizing  the  Jews,  as 
seen  in  their  jealousy  and  rebellion  against 
their  benefactors,  vii.  9,  27,  39,  40,  42, 
43.  All  this  was  aggravated  by  God's 
goodness  and  grace  to  them  all  the  while, 
vii.  5,  10,  II,  25,  34,  45. 

This  is  the  same  charge  which  Jesus 
made.     Matt,  xxiii.  29-35.' 

It  has  been  alleged  that  the  speech  contains 
the  following  variations  from  the  Mosaic  his- 
tory. The  careful  student  will  probably  be 
able  to  satisfy  himself  about  them  all. 

(I.)  Call  of  Abraham,  vii.  2.  :  Gen. 
xii.  I. 

(II.)  Death  of  Abraham's  father,  xii. 
4  :    Gen.  xi.  32. 

(III.)  The  number  of  Jacob's  company, 
vii.  14  :   Gen.  xlvi.  27. 

(\y.)  Description  of  Moses.  vii.  20.: 
Ex.  ii.  2. 

(\'.)  Early  training  of  Moses,  vii.  22. 
Ex.  iv.  10. 


lO! 


(VI.)  His  secular  greatness,  vii.  22  :  E.\. 
ii.  10. 

(VII.)  Chronology.  Stephen  gives  three 
periods  of  forty  years.  vii.  23,  30,  36 : 
Ex.  xvi.   45. 

(VIII.)  Terror  of  Moses  at  the  bush, 
vii.  32.     Ex.  iii.  3. 

(IX.)  Intervention  of  the  angels  in  the 
giving  of  the  law.     vii.  53  :   Ex.  xix.  16. 

(x.)  Burial  of  the  Patriarchs  at  Shechem. 
vii.  16:   Ex.  i.  6;  Josh.  xxiv.  32. 

(XI.)  Purchase  of  tombs,  vii.  16;  Gen. 
xxiii.  1 5. 

His  condemnation. 

He  suddenly  breaks  off  his  calm  ad- 
dress. His  purpose  has  been  fulfilled. 
He  knows  their  hearts,  vii.  51,  53.  What 
was  the  effect  on  them  ?  What  visions 
does  he  have  ?  vii.  55,  56.  He  sees  Jesus 
standing.  [Elsewhere  in  the  new  Testa- 
ment He  is  represented  as  sitting.  Col. 
iii.  i;  Heb.  i.  3;  x.  12;  Rev.  iii.  21.] 
Chrysostom  says  He  was  standing  as 
though  He  had  risen  to  receive  Ste- 
phen. Stephen  calls  Him  the  "  Son  of 
Man."  This  is  the  only  place  in  the  New 
Testament  where  the  title  is  applied  to 
Jesus  except  by  Himself,  save  Rev.  xiv.  14. 

His  martyrdom. 

vii.  57,  58.  They  had  nearly  stoned 
Jesus  once.  John  viii.  59.  Those  must 
take  the  lead  who   had   assumed   the  re 


io6 

sponsibility  of  denouncing  Stephen.  Com- 
pare John  viii.  7  ;  Deut.  xvii.  7.  One  of 
the  promhient  leaders  of  the  transaction 
was  deputed  by  custom  to  signify  his  con- 
sent by  taking  the  clothes  of  those  who 
did  the  deed  into  his  custody.  Saul  of 
Tarsus  performed  this  office.  xxii.  20. 
Had  he  met  Stephen  in  the  synagogue  of 
the  Cilicians  ?     vi.  9. 

One  volley  of  stones  brought  from  Ste- 
phen the  prayer,  "  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my 
spirit."  Compare  Phil.  i.  23 ;  Psa.  xxxi. 
5  ;  Luke  xxiii.  46.  A  second  volley  brings 
him  to  his  knees  with  a  loud  dying  shout, 
"  Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge." 
Matt.  V.  44 ;  Luke  xxiii.  34.  And  he  fell 
asleep. 

The  early  Christians  were  made  of 
heroic  stuff.  Polycarp,  as  he  stood  on 
the  funeral  pile,  April  6,  166,  prayed, 
"  Lord,  God  Almighty,  Father  of  Thy  be- 
loved and  blessed  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  by 
whom  we  have  received  the  knowledge  of 
Thee,  the  God  of  angels  and  powers,  and 
of  the  whole  creation,  and  of  all  the  race 
of  the  righteous  who  live  before  Thee,  I 
bless  Thee  that  Thou  hast  counted  me 
worthy  of  this  day  and  this  hour,  that  I 
should  have  a  part  in  the  number  of  Thy 
witnesses,  in  the  cup  of  Thy  Christ."  And 
it  is  related  of  Pionius,  a  martyr  in  Smyrna, 
that  he  was  heard  supplicating  from  the 
flames  of  the  pyre  for  the  Emperor,  for  his 


I07 

judges,  and  for  all   the  heathen.      When 
an  audible  "  Amen  "  was  on  his  lips,  the 
flames   smote    together    above    him    and 
ended  his  life. 
His  burial. 

viii.  2.  These  were  Jews,  not  Chris- 
tians. The  death  of  the  martyr  must 
have  been  the  conviction  of  many  a  be- 
holder. Tradition  makes  the  date  of  his 
martyrdom  December  26  of  the  same  year 
as  the  crucifixion ;  and  so  Augustine  says, 
putting  the  days  together,  that  men  would 
not  have  had  the  courage  to  die  for  God 
if  God  had  not  become  man  to  die  for 
them. 
His  character  and  place. 

(I.)  He  was  the  first  great  Christian 
ecclesiastic.  He  is  not  called  a  "  deacon  " 
in  the  Bible.  Do  deacons  now  measure 
up  to  Stephen  .'' 

(II.)  He  was  the  forerunner  of  Paul. 
Basil  of  Seleucia  calls  him  TIavXov  6  StSdc- 

KoXos. 

(i)  The  influence  of  his  martyrdom 
on  Paul.  The  blood  of  the  first  mar- 
tyr was  the  seed  of  the  greatest  Apos- 
tle. Augustine  says,  "The  Church 
owes  Paul  to  the  prayer  of  Stephen." 

"  Si  Stephanus  non  orasset 
Ecclesia  Paulum  noii  haberet." 

Compare     xxii.     4;     xxvi.    10; 
Phil.  iii.  6;   I.  Tim.  i.  13. 


io8 

There  is  a  picture  by  Vicent  Joannes, 
founder  of  the  Valencian  school,  of 
"  Stephen  conducted  to  the  place  of 
execution,  representing  Saul  as  walk- 
ing by  his  side  with  melancholy  calm- 
ness. He  consents  to  Stephen's  death 
from  a  sincere,  though  mistaken,  con- 
viction of  duty,  and  the  expression  of 
his  countenance  is  strongly  contrasted 
with  the  rage  of  the  baffled  Jewish 
doctors,'and  the  ferocity  of  the  crowd." 
Literally  the  conception  is  untrue, 
considering  Paul's  immediate  conduct 
and  his  words,  spoken  later,  about 
himself  at  this  time.  Poetically  the 
conception  is  true,  throwing  on  the 
persecutor's  face  the  shadow  of  his 
coming  repentance. 

(2)  Stephen  anticipated  the  Paul- 
ine view  of  Christianity.  Broader 
than  any  subordination  to  local  wor- 
ship, he  saw  the  spiritual  side  of  Jew- 
ish history  and  treated  it  as  Paul  did. 
He  used  the  historical  method,  as 
Paul  did  at  Antioch  in  Pisidia. 

Compare  — 

vii.  48,  51  :  xvii.  24;  Rom.  ii.  29. 

vii.  53  :   Oal.  iii.  19. 

vii.  2  ;  xxii.  i. 

vii.  5-8  :  Rom.  iv.  10-19. 

vii.  2-4:  C.al,  iii.  7;  Rom.  iv.  9. 


1 09 

(III.)  He  was  a  Bible  student.  His 
whole  sermon  is  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. 

(IV.)  He  was  the  first  Christian  martyr. 
The  word  "martyr"  is  first  applied  to  him 
by  Paul.  xxii.  20.  Read  Heber's  hymn, 
"  The  Son  of  God  goes  forth  to  war,"  and 
John  Keble's  "  St.  Stephen's  Day,"  in 
The  Christian  Year. 

4.      A  poll  OS. 

a.  xviii.  24-27. 

(r.)      Name,  nation,  and  city. 

(II.)  Character.  Eloquent,  mighty  in 
the  Scripture,  fervent  in  spirit,  diligent, 
bold,  teachable,  missionary. 

(III.)  He  knew  only  John's  baptism. 
Did  he  know  of  Christ  at  all,  or  did  he 
know  all  but  the  coming  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  ? 

b.  He  went  to  Corinth. 

xviii.  27,  28;  xix.  i.  ApoUos  remained 
at  Corinth  some  time,  thoroughly  confut- 
ing the  Jews  and  watering  where  Paul  had 
planted.  I.  Cor.  iii.  6.  His  presence, 
however,  led  to  some  division.  He  must 
have  been  a  winning  man,  for  a  sect  took 
his  name.  Probably  he  presented  a  more 
intellectual  and  gnostic  type  of  Christianity 
than  Paul's.  This  did  not  interfere  with 
the  cordial  relations  existing  between 
Apollos  and  Paul,  for  they  were  together 


no 

when  Paul  wrote  I.  Corinthians,  and  Paul 
urged  him  to  go  back  to  Corinth.  I.  Cor. 
xvi.  12.  ApoUos  refused  to  go,  however, 
perhaps  disgusted  by  the  dissensions.  It 
may  even  have  been  through  Apollos  that 
Paul  learned  about  these  divisions. 

c.  The  only  other  reference  to  him  is  in 
Titus  iii.  13. 

d.  Study  these  brief  references  carefully. 
Apollos  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  figures 
in  these  most  interesting  times. 

A  q  nil  a  and  Priscilla. 

a.  We  meet  them  first  at  Corinth.  Acts 
xviii,  1-3. 

(I.)  Who  were  they.''  Jews  from 
Pontus,  evidently,  living  at  Rome.  There 
were  at  least  8,000  Jews  there.  Jews 
were  numerous  in  Pontus,  too.  Acts  ii.  9; 
I.  Peter  i.  i. 

(ri.)     When  did  they  become  Christians? 
(i)   Before  meeting  Paul.'' 

{a)  Their  subsequent  conver- 
sion and  baptism  are  not  referred 
to. 

(/')   Paul  joined  himself  to  them. 

(11.)     After  meeting  Paul  'i 

They  are  called  "Jews,"  not 
"  disciples,"  as  they  would  prob- 
ably have  been  called  were  they 
Christians.  Paul  joined  them 
because  of  their  trade. 


Ill 

(in.)  Why  did  they  leave  Rome  at  the 
order  of  Claudius  ? 

Suetonius  says,  "Judaeos  impulsore 
Chresto  assidue  tumultuantes  Roma  ex- 
pulit."  Was  Chrestus  some  ringleader,  or 
a  misreading  of  "  Christus,"  and  was  it  a 
persecution  of  Christians  which  led  to  the 
expulsion,  the  Romans  making  no  distinc- 
tion between  the  Christian  Jews  and  the 
others  ? 

(IV.)      What  was  their  business? 

(v.)  They  and  Paul  lived  together  all 
the  week  working  (xx.  34  ;  I.  Cor.  iv.  1 1 ), 
and  he  preached  in  the  synagogue  on  the 
Sabbath. 

b.  They  leave  Corinth  with  Paul,  and  we 
meet  them  next  at  Ephesus.  xviii.  iS.  The 
order  of  names  is  reversed  now.  From  Ephe- 
sus Paul  writes  I.  Corinthians,  and  they  are 
there  with  him  then.  How  do  you  know .'' 
How  long  they  stayed  we  do  not  know.  They 
were  there  when  Apollos  came,  xviii.  26.  Which 
of  the  two  taught  Apollos  1  There  is  a  mono- 
graph of  the  date  1709  entitled,  "  De  Priscilla, 
Aquilae  uxore,  tamquam  feminarum  e  gente 
Judaica  eruditarum  specimine." 

After  Apollos  went  to  Corinth  and  Paul 
returned  to  Ephesus  they  were  there.  I.  Cor. 
xvi.  19.  Perhaps  they  employed  a  large 
number  of  workmen  who  constituted  this 
Church. 


I  12 

c.  They  leave  Ephesus  soon  and  go  back  to 
Rome,  for  Paul  salutes  them  in  Romans  xvi. 

(I.)  The  reign  of  Claudius  ended  in  54. 
Romans  was  written  in  59.  The  business 
of  Aquila  and  Priscilla  was  a  movable  one, 
and  this  leaves  abundance  of  time  for 
them  to  go  back  to  Rome. 

(II.)  They  have  evidently  been  of  some 
special  help  to  Paul. 

(i)  He  calls  them  his  helpers  in  the 
Lord. 

(2)  They  had  risked  their  lives  for 
him.  When  was  this  —  xviii.  12  or 
xix.  30,  31  ? 

(3)  It  was  known  to  the  Gentile 
Christians,  and  they,  too,  thanked 
Aquila  and  Priscilla  for  it. 

(III.)  They  again  have  a  church  in  their 
house.  Compare  I.  Cor.  xvi.  19;  Col.  iv. 
15;  Philemon  2.  As  late  as  the  middle 
of  the  second  century  there  was  no  fixed 
place  of  general  assembly  at  Rome,  but 
there  were  several  churches  in  houses. 
Compare  Acts  xii.  12. 

d.  They  have  gone  back  to  Ephesus  again 
in  the  year  of  Paul's  martyrdom,  when  he 
writes  to  Timothy.     II.  Tim.  iv.  19. 

(I.)  Prisca  is  the  same  name  as  Pris- 
cilla. The  wife  is  placed  first  again,  as  in 
xviii.  18;  Rom.  xvi.  3.     Compare  xviii.  2, 


113 

26;  I.  Cor.  xvi.  19.  Was  she  the  more 
energetic  character  of  the  two  ?  She  must 
have  been  a  great  help  to  young  Timothy 
in  his  work  as  the  Bishop  of  Ephesus,  in 
helping  him  carry  out  Paul's  advice  about 
the  women. 

(II.)     Tradition   relates   that  they    were 
beheaded. 

6.  James. 

a.  James,  the  brother  of  John.  i.  13;  xii. 
I,  2. 

h.    James,  the  son  of  Alphasus.     i.  13. 

c.  James,  the  Just.  What  relation  was  he 
to  Christ?  xii.  17.  xv.  13-21.  Notice  the 
dignity,  generosity,  scripturalness,  and  accept- 
ableness  of  his  speech,     xxi.  18-25. 

7.  The  cipher  Apostles. 

a.  John.  i.  13;  iii.  i-i  i ;  iv.  13,  19;  viii.  14; 
xii.  2. 

b.  i.  13. 

c.  Judas,     i.  16-20,  25;  iv.  23. 

d.  Matthias,  i.  23.  Is  he  recognized  after- 
wards as  an  Apostle.''     ii.  14;  v.  iS,  29;  vi.  2. 

8.  Philip. 

He  was  one  of  the  deacons,  not  the  Apostle 
Philip,  or  it  would  not  have  been  necessary 
to  send  Peter  and  John  to  Samaria  to  look 
after  things. 


114 

a.  vi.  5.  He  is  next  to  Stephen  in  the  list 
of  deacons.  Are  they  arranged  in  order  of 
prominence,  or  in  the  order  in  which  they  re- 
ceived votes  ?  Stephen  and  Philip  are  the  only 
two  we  hear  from  again,  unless  Rev.  ii.  6  con- 
tains a  reference  to  Nicolas. 

/;.  vi.  3.  He  doubtless  met  these  condi- 
tions. 

c.  viii.  1-4.  The  persecution  which  arose 
upon  the  death  of  Stephen  would  probably  fall 
heavily  upon  Philip,  who  had  been  associated 
with  him ;  so  he  went  to  Samaria.  It  must 
have  been  a  joy  to  him  to  have  a  chance  of 
spreading  the  Gospel  among  the  Samaritans. 
What  was  their  religious  position  ? 

d.  viii.  5-8.  He  preached  Christ  to  them. 
What  was  the  result  ? 

e.  viii.  19,  13.  Even  Simon  the  Sorcerer 
was  touched. 

f.  What  was  the  substance  of  Philip's  preach- 
ing ?    viii.  5,  12.     It  was  attested  by  signs,     viii. 

13- 

g.  His  meeting  with  the  Eunuch,  viii.  26- 
39.  The  Eunuch  was  probably  a  proselyte  of 
the  gate. 

He  had  been  to  Jerusalem  to  do  his 
duty  there,  and,  returning,  was  reading 
aloud,  according  to  the  rules  of  the  Rabbis 
and  from  his  own  desire  for  knowledge. 
Study  this  passage  carefully,  observing  the 
parties,  the  meeting,  the  introduction,  the 
passage  of  Scripture,  the  question,  the  con- 


115 

versation,  the  conversion,  the  baptism,  the 
parting,  the  result. 

viii.  40.  Philip  immediately  went  to 
Azotus,  and  from  there  to  Cassarea.  It 
may  have  been  there  that  he  told  Luke 
about  this  scene. 

//.  We  lose  sight  of  him  now.  Probably  he 
remained  at  Caesarea,  or  made  it  a  center  from 
which  he  went  out  on  his  missionary  journeys; 
for  in  xxi.  8  we  find  him  there. 

(r.)  This  must  have  been  a  good  meet- 
ing. Paul  and  Philip  had  the  same  sym- 
pathies. Doubtless  they  talked  much  to- 
gether about  Stephen.  Had  they  met  in 
Caesarea  before,  when  young  Saul  was  sent 
from  Jerusalem  to  Tarsus  to  escape  the 
Grecians  ?     ix.  29,  30. 

(II.)  Philip  is  called  the  '-Evangelist." 
To  whom  else  in  the  New  Testament  is 
that  title  applied.?  II.  Tim.  iv.  5;  Eph. 
iv.  II. 

(III.)  He  had  four  consecrated  daugh- 
ters.    Compare  ii.  17. 

(IV.)  The  importance  of  Philip's  posi- 
tion here  where  he  would  reach  the  men 
of  all  nations.  Caesarea  was  the  port  of 
Jerusalem. 

9.      Some  missionary  helpers. 

(I.    John  Mark. 

xii.  12,  25;  xiii.  4,  5,  13.     XV.  37-39. 


ii6 

h.    Timothy. 

(i.)  Paul  meets  him  at  Lystra  aud 
likes  him.     xvi.  1-3. 

(II.)  He  forthwith  accompanies  Paul 
until  he  is  left  temporarily  at  Berea  (xvii. 
14),  but  he  joins  him  soon  at  Athens 
(xvii.  15). 

(III.)  He  is  sent  to  Macedonia  on  some 
errand,  and  returns  to  Corinth,     xviii,  5. 

(IV.)  We  lose  sight  of  him  now,  but 
presently  he  is  sent  from  Ephesus  into 
Macedonia,     xix.  22. 

(V.)  And  he  was  one  of  the  company 
of  friends  who  went  before  Paul  when  he 
left  Achaia  finally,  and  tarried  for  him  at 
Troas.     xx.  4,  5. 

c.    Silas. 

(I.)      First  appearance,     xv.  22. 

(II.)  Silas  liked  Paul  and  Antioch.  xv. 
32-34.  Verse  34  is  omitted  from  the  Re- 
vised Version.  The  teaching  regarding 
Silas's  attachment  to  Paul,  however,  is  just 
the  same.  xv.  40.  If  Silas  went  away,  he 
must  have  returned. 

(III.)  He  accompanied  Paul  on  his  sec- 
ond missionary  journey,     .xvi.  19-40. 

(IV.)  At  Thessalonica.     xvii.  4,  10. 

(V.)    Left  at  Berea.     xvii.  14. 


117 

(VI.)  Received  a  command  to  join  Panl. 
xvii.  I  5. 

(VII.)  He  was  with  Paul  at  Corinth, 
xviii.  5;  I.  Thess.  i.  i  ;  II.  Thess.  i.  i  ;  II. 
Cor.  i.  19. 

(VIII.)  He  is  not  mentioned  again  in 
the  Acts  or  by  Paul.  Probably  he  returned 
to  Jerusalem  and  worked  there,  as  he  had 
done  before  meeting  Paul.  Timothy  took 
his  place  with  the  great  missionary.  Silas 
had  been  deeply  esteemed  by  Paul.  The 
order  is  always  Silas  and  Timothy,  never 
Timothy  and  Silas.  He  was  a  man  of 
broad  views,  deep  devotion,  and  lowly 
spirit. 

(IX.)  He  carries  the  first  Epistle  of 
Peter.  I.  Peter  v.  12.  Peter  esteemed  him 
as  highly  as  Paul  did.  And  he  was  known  to 
these  Asiatic  churches.  We  see  him  last, 
as  we  saw  him  first,  laboring  for  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel. 

10.  What  civil  o)'  political  officials  are  mentioned  ? 

viii.  27-39;  X.  I  ;  xii.  1-22;  xiii.  7;  xvi.  20, 
-3'  35;  xvii.  8;  xviii.  2,  12;  xix.  31,  35;  xxi.  31, 
32;  xxii.  25;  xxiii.  23,  26;  xxiv.  27;  xxv.  11,  13, 
21,-  xxvii.  I;  xxviii.  16.  • 

1 1 .  M'i)ior  characters. 

i.  23;  iv.  6;  V.  34,  36,  37;  viii.  9-24  ;  ix.  ro-17, 
33-35'  36-4^,43;  xi.  28;  xii.  12,  13;  xiii.  6- 11  ; 
xiv.  13;  XV.  22;  xvi.  i,  14,  30;  xvii.  34;  xviii.  8, 


ii8 

17;  xix.  9,  14,  24,  29,  33;  XX.  9;  xxi.  i6,  29;  xxiv. 
1,24;  XXV.  13;  xxviii.  7. 
Study  the  four  Herods. 

a.  Herod  the  Great,  the  founder  of  the 
family,  who  murdered  the  innocents  of  Beth- 
lehem.    Died  B.C.  4. 

b.  Herod  Antipas,  his  son.  B.C.  4  to  A.I). 
39.     He  murdered  John  the  Baptist. 

c.  Herod  Agrippa  the  first,  grandson  of 
Herod  the  Great.  A.D.  37-44.  He  murdered 
James. 

d.  Herod  Agrippa  the  second,  great  grandson 
of  Herod  the  Great.  A.D.  50-100.  Before 
him  Paul  appeared,     xxvi.  28. 


12.    Paul. 


Next  to  Christ,  he  is  perhaps  the  most  im- 
portant figure  in  history,  both  because  of  his 
work  and  because  of  his  character,  though  the 
former  has  overshadowed  the  latter  too  much. 
His  life  was  extraordinarily  broad.  The  study 
of  it  here  must  be  limited  to  what  can  be 
learned  from  the  Acts. 

a.    His  life. 

(i.)  Before  his  conversion.  1-36  A.D. 
•  (i)  We  first  meet  him  at  Stephen's 
martyrdom,     vii.  58;  viii.  i,  3. 

(2)   He    was    a   native    of    Tarsus. 


xxn. 


J- 


(3)   And  was  of   the  tribe  of  Benja- 
min.    Phil.  iii.  5. 


IK 


(4)  Inherited  from  his  father  the 
rights    of    Roman    citizenship.      xxii. 

27,  28. 

(5)  He  learned  a  trade  in  Tarsus.* 
xviii.  3.  This  was  a  wholesome  Jew- 
ish custom,  and  did  not  imply  that  the 
family  was  in  needy  condition,  or  that 
Paul  was  not  also  receiving  an  educa- 
tion in  higher  things.  Tarsus  was  a 
rival  of  Athens  and  Alexandria  as  a 
place  of  learning  and  research.  Per- 
haps he  gained  here  his  unfailing 
urbanity,  his  skill  in  using  Greek,  his 
acquaintance  with  heathen  literature, 
xvii.  28  ;  xxvi.  1-2. 

(6)  He  removed  at  an  early  age  to 
Jerusalem  and  was  educated  there, 
xxii.  3. 

(7)  He  was  in  deadly  earnest  in 
his  support  of  Judaism.  xxii.  3-5. 
Was  he  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrim  .'' 
In  xxvi.  10  he  speaks  of  h'v^  vote.  See 
the  Greek. 

(II.)     His  conversion.     36  A.D. 

It  was  on  the  errand  mentioned  in  xxii. 
3-5  that  God  changed  the  current  of  his 
life.  The  persecutor  was  to  become  the 
propagator.  There  are  three  accounts  of 
his  conversion,  ix.  1-18;  xxii.  5-16;  xxvi. 
12-23. 

(i)  The  place. 


I20 

(2)  The  light,    ix.  3  ;    xxii.  6  ;    xxvi. 

13- 

(4)   His    position  and  that   of    his 

companions,     ix.  4;  xxii.  7  ;  xxvi.  14. 

(4)  What  was  said  ?  ix.  4 ;  xxii. 
7,  8,  10 ;  xxvi.  14. 

(5)  Who  heard  what  was  said  and 
saw  the  light  ?  ix.  7  ;  xxii,  9.  These 
are  reconcilable. 

(6)  What  followed?  ix.  8-18; 
xxii.  1 1 -16. 

(7)  What  did  Paul  see  when  he 
was  stricken  down  .^  ix.  17  ;  xxii.  14; 
I.  Cor.  XV.  8. 

(III.)     At    Damascus    and     Jerusalem. 
36-38  A.D. 

(i)     At    Damascus    he   broke   his 
three    days'    fast    (ix.    9),    and    was 
^    baptised  (xxii.  16). 
(2)     ix.  20-25. 

{(t)    How    long    was    Paul    in 
Damascus  ? 

a.  Gal.  i.  18.  These  three 
years  probably  dated  from 
his  conversion.  Did  he  spend 
them  all  in  Damascus  ?     No. 

The  Jews  would  not  have 
tolerated  him  so  long. 

The  Christians  at  Jerusa- 
lem   would    not    have    been 


121 

afraid  of  him  if  he  had  been 
so  long  tried  at  Damascus. 

b.  Where  else  did  he  go  ? 
Gal.  i.  17. 
(/;)    Why  did  he  flee  ?     ix.  23  ; 
II.  Cor.  xi.  32. 

(3)  From  Damascus  he  goes  to 
Jerusalem,  ix.  22,  26-30.  On  what 
grounds  did  Barnabas  vouch  for  him  ? 

(4)  ix.  30. 

(IV.)     At  Antioch.     44,  45  A.D. 
Where  was  he  from  38-43?     Gal.  i.  21. 
(i)     xi.  20-24. 

(2)  xi.  25,  26. 

(3)  xi.  2S-30. 

(4)  xii.  25. 

(5)  xiii.  I,  2.  They  had  trained 
native  workers. 

(V.)  The  first  missionary  journey.  45, 
46  A.D. 

The  Church  at  Antioch  was  largely  a 
Gentile  Church.  Hundreds  of  hearts 
must  have  been  asking,  "  Is  the  Gospel  to 
stop  with  us  ?  It  has  pressed  out  of 
Judea  and  vSamaria.  Shall  it  not  go,  as 
He  bade,  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth  ? "  And  as  they  were  serving,  the 
Lord  sent  His  answer. 

(i)  The  choice  of  the  missionaries, 
xiii.  2.     Notice  that  it  was  a  separa- 


122 

tion  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  a  definite 
work,  which  must  have  been  indefinite 
in  a  measure  to  them,  and  which  yet 
in  its  essential  character  was  specific, 
for  instinctively  they  preached  the 
word  of  God.  The  Holy  Ghost  called 
them  not  so  much  to  a  new  kind  as  to 
a  new  field  of  work. 

(2)  The  starting  point,  xiii.  1-4. 
Antioch  was  the  missionary  centre. 

(3)  The  spirit  of  the  departure, 
xiii.  3. 

{4)  The  journey  and  its  incidents, 
xiii.  I  -  xiv.  28.  Make  an  analysis  of 
the  journey,  taking  it  up  place  by 
place,  and  study  the  events  which 
happened  in  each  place,  writing  the 
whole  out  carefully. 

(5)     What  was  their  work  ? 

(a)  Visited     first     of    all     the 
synagogue. 

{d)   Preaching  the  word  at  all 
opportunities. 

{()  Ordained    elders    in   every 
Church,     xiv.  23. 

{d)  Commending  them  to  the 
Lord, 

a.  As  an  object  of  faith. 

b.  With  prayer  and  fasting 


123 

(6)  Home  once  more. 

{a)  xiv.  26.  They  had  been 
upheld  by  this  consciousness  and 
the  assurance  that  the  Christians 
at  Antioch  were  praying  for  them. 

{/>)  xiv.  27. 

(7)  xiv.  28.  Here  Paul  remained 
from  46-51,  with  the  exception  of  his 
visit  to  the  council  at  Jerusalem. 

(VI.)     The  Apostolic  council.       50  A.D. 

(i)  The  origin  of  the  trouble,  xv. 
I,  2. 

(2)  The  question  at  issue.  Must 
the  Gentile  converts  be  circumcised  ? 

(3)  The  mode  of  settlement.  Com- 
pare Gal.  ii. 

((/)  The  delegates  appointed. 
XV.  2. 

{/})  Their  journey  to  Jerusalem. 
XV.  3. 

(f)  The  council  called.  xv. 
4-6. 

{d)  The  proceedings. 

a.  Much  disputing,     xv.  7. 

b.  Peter's  speech,     xv.  7- 
II. 

c.  Barnabas  and  Paul  heard 
XV.  12. 

d.  James's  speech,    xv.  13- 
21. 


124 

e.  The  decision. 

Legates,     xv.  22. 
Letters,     xv.  23-29. 
{e)   The    harmony  of  the  pro- 
ceedings.    XV.  25,  26,  29. 

(/)  Luke's  account  in  accord- 
ance with  Paul's  in  Gal.  ii.  i-io. 

(4)  Return  home.     xv.  30,  31. 

(5)  Paul  and  Barnabas  remain  in 
Antioch.     xv.  35. 

(6)  Peter  comes  down  and  gets  into 
trouble.  He  was  fickle.  Paul  was 
firm.     Gal.  ii.   11-21. 

(VII.)   Second  missionary  journey.     51- 
54  A.D. 

( 1 )  His  starting  point, —  Antioch,  as 
usual.     XV.  35,  40. 

(2)  The  design  conceived,  xv.  ^6. 
Who  proposed  the  journey  ? 

(3)  A  dissension  arose,     xv.  37-39. 

(4)  Which  results  in  a  division,  xv. 
39,  40.  Consider  the  good  and  the 
evil  of  this  quarrel. 

(5)  The  journey  and  its  incidents. 

Make  a  list  of  the  places  visited 
in  order.  Take  these  up  one  at 
a  time,  and  study  each  by  itself, 
and  then  in  its  relation  to  the 
others.     The  volume  on  Acts  in 


125 

the  Cambridge  Bible  for  Schools 
and  Colleges  -.vill  be  found  help- 
ful.    XV.  41  -xviii.  22. 

(VIII.)  Third  missionary  journey.      54- 
58  A.D. 

(i)   Starting  point,     xviii.  23. 

(2)  From  Antioch  and  Ephesus. 
xviii.   23-  xix.   i. 

{3)  Ministry  in  Ephesus.  xix.  54- 
56  A.D.  The  first  Epistle  to  the 
Corinthians  vk^as  written  now;  perhaps 
also  the  Epistles  to  the  Galatians. 

(4)  From  Ephesus  to  Corinth.  57 
A.D.  XX.  I,  2;  II.  Cor.  ii.  12.  The 
Second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  was 
written  on  this  journey. 

(5)  Ministry  in  Achaia.  xx.  3.  The 
Epistle  to  the  Romans  was  written 
now. 

(6)  From  Corinth  to  Jerusalem. 
Study  his  route.  Notice  when  Luke 
joins  him,  and  what  other  companions 
he  had.  Study  carefully  his  farewell 
speeches  on  this  journey. 

(7)  His  fifth  and  last  visit  to  Jeru- 
salem, xxi.  15,  16.  When  had  he 
been  there  before  ? 

(IX.)    His  first  imprisonment.     58-62. 
(i)  Arrest  at  Jerusalem. 

(«)  Visit  to  James  and  the  eld- 
ers,    xxi.  18,  19. 


126 

{d)  Their  advice  to  him.  xxi. 
'0-2  5. 

(r)  He  accepts  it.  With  what 
result .''     xxi.  26-36. 

(d)  Paul  asks  an  opportunity 
to  speak  to  the  people,  xxi.  27- 
41.  And  does  so  in  Hebrew, 
xxii.  I -2 1.  When  did  they  in- 
terrupt him  .'* 

{e)  Paul  kept  in  the  castle, 
xxii;  22-29. 

{/)  Before  the  Jews  again,  xxii. 
30  -  xxiii.  ID. 

(£■)  His  vision,     xxiii.  11. 

(/?)  Plot  to  kill  Paul,  xxiii.  12 
-22. 

(2)  Detention  at  Caesarea. 

(a)  Sent  there  by  Claudius  Ly- 
sias.     xxiii.  23-33. 

{d)  Governor  Felix  receives  and 
keeps  him.     xxiii.  33-35. 

(c)  The  hearing,     xxiv.  1-22. 

{d)   Still  a  prisoner,     xxiv.  23. 

{e)  The  prisoner  on  exhibition, 
xxiv.  24-26. 

(/)  Change  of  governors.  No 
change  in  Paul's  condition.  Why  ? 
xxiv.  27. 

{£■)  Fresh  charges,     xxv.   1-3. 

{//)  Trial  before  Festus.  xxv. 
4-12.  What  led  to  the  appeal 
to  Caesar.''     Why  did  not   Paul 


127 

accept  the  change  of  venue  pro- 
posed in  XXV.  9. 

(z)   A  visit.     XXV.  13-22. 

(y)  On  exhibition  again,  xxv. 
23  -  xxvi.  29.  Paul  loses  no  op- 
portunity to  preach  Christ. 

(/{•)  To  Rome.     xxvi.  30-32. 

(3)  The  voyage. 

(a)  The  company,     xxvii.  i,  2. 
(d)  The  ship,     xxvii.  2. 
{c)   The  course,    xxvii.  3-xxviii. 
16.     Study  it  step  by  step. 

(4)  Imprisonment  in  the  city  of  the 
Caesars. 

(a)  Not  rigorous,     xxiii.  16. 

(d)  His  interviews  with  the  chief 
Jews,     xxviii.  17-29. 

(c)  The  way  he  spent  his  time, 
xxviii.  30,  31.  Epistles  to  the 
Philippians,  Philemon,  the  Colos- 
sians,  and  the  Ephesians  were 
written  during  his  first  imprison- 
ment. 

(x.)  His  later  life.  After  two  years' 
imprisonment  Paul  was  tried  and  released, 
and  •continued  his  labors  for  the  spread  of 
Christianity. 

(i)  He  first  went  eastward  to  Phil- 
ippi  and  Ephesus.  Phil.  i.  25,  27; 
Philemon  22;  I.  Tim.  i,  3;  I.Tim, 
iii.  14;  iv.  13.     From  this  it  is  plain 


128 

that  he  was  expectmg  to  return  to 
Ephesus.  I.  Timothy  was  written  at 
this  time.  From  Macedonia  he  evi- 
dently reached  Ephesus  and  spent 
some  time  there.  II.  Tim.  i.  i8. 
Conybeare  and  Howson  hold  that 
Paul  went  to  Spain  in  64  (compare 
Romans  xv.  28),  and  returned  to 
Ephesus  in  66. 

(2)  He  paid  a  visit  to  Crete  and 
left  Titus  there  to  organize  churches. 
Titus  i.  5 ;  iii.  12. 

(3)  He  traveled  by  Miletus  (II.  Tim. 
iv.  20),  Troas  (II.  Tim.  iv.  13), 
Corinth  (II.  Tim.  iv.  20). 

(4)  We  find  him  at  last,  once  more 
at  Rome  in  bonds  as  an  evil  doer, 
expecting  death.  II.  Tim.  ii.  9;  iv.  6, 
9-12,  16.  He  was  all  alone  save  for 
Luke,  and  desires  Timothy  to  come 
quickly  to  him.  His  treatment  now 
differed  from  his  treatment  during  his 
preceding  imprisonment. 

(5)  At  the  first  hearing  he  vindi- 
cated his  cause  and  was  remanded  to 
prison.  II.  Tim.  iv.  16-17.  It  was 
now  that  the  II.  Epistle  to  Timothy 
was  written.  He  was  ready  to  go 
home  (II.  Tim.  iv.  6-8),  and  he  had 
not  long  to  wait,  for  about  the  begin- 
ning of  June  68  A.D.  he  was  led  out 
to  die.     He  was  a  Roman  citizen,  and 


129 

so  was  beheaded,  not  crucified.  What 
has  been  said  of  Charles  Kingsley  is 
but  a  part  of  what  might  be  said  of 
him,  that  he  was  — 

"A  righteous  man 
Who  loved  God  and  truth  above  all  things; 
A  man  of  untarnished  honor  — 
Loyal  and  chivalrous  —  gentle  and  strong — 
Modest  and  humble  — tender  and  true  — 
Pitiful    to    the    weak  —  yearning   after    the 

erring  — 
Stern  to  all  forms  of  wrong  and  oppression — 
Yet  most  stern  towards  himself  — 
Who,  being  angry^,  yet  sinned  not. 
Who  lived  in  the  presence  of  God  here, 
And,  passing  through  the  grave  and  gate  of 

death, 
Now  liveth  unto  God  forevermore." 

Dying  like  the  brave  servant  of  God  that 
he  was,  he  still  lives  on,  and  "  wheresoever 
the  Holy  Church  throughout  all  the  world 
doth  acknowledge  God,  there  Paul  of  Tar- 
sus is  revered  as  the  great  teacher  of  a 
universal  redemption  and  a  catholic  relig- 
ion, the  herald  of  glad  tidings  to  all 
mankind." 

h.    Speeches. 

(i.)     To  the  Jews. 

Always  to  them  first. 

(r)  Discourses,  xiii.  16-47;  ^^ii. 
1-21  ;  xxviii.  17-20,  23-29. 

(2)  Brief  notices  of  other  addresses. 
ix.  20,  22  ;  xiii.  9-1 1,  43  ;  xv.  12  ;  xxiii. 
1-6.     Notice  the  tact  and  skill  of  the 


I30 

speaker,  his  adaptation  to  the  preju- 
dices of  his  hearers,  the  use  he  made 
of  his  materials,  and  his  boldness  and 

strength. 

(II.)  To  the  Gentiles,  xiv.  15-17;  xvi. 
31;  xvii.  16-31;  xxiv.  10-21,  24;  xxvi. 
1-29.  Notice  the  way  he  puts  himself 
in  their  place,  occupying  their  point  of 
view.  Observe  his  openheartedness,  his 
skill  in  debate,  his  consciousness  of  right. 

(ill.)  To  the  Church,  xiv.  22-27  ;  xv. 
12;  XX.  7-10,  18-35.  Notice  the  substance 
of  these  speeches,  their  tenderness,  timeli- 
ness, and  discernment. 

(IV.)     In  self  defence. 

(i)  At  Jerusalem. 

(a)   Before    the     people.       xx. 

1-21. 

{d)  Before    the  Sanhedrim, 
xxiii.  1-6. 
(2)  In  Caesarea.      xxiv.  10-21,  24; 
xxvi,  1-29.     Notice  the  circumstances 
of  each  speech,  the  way  Paul  presents 
the  issue,  allaying  prejudice,  until  the 
time  for  the  bold  and  necessary  stroke. 
The  teaching  of  his  speeches. 
(I.)     About  God. 

(i)   His  relation  to  nature  and  man. 
xiv.  15-17;  xvii.  24-26,  27-30. 

(2)  He  is  the  Actor  in  the  spread 
of  the  Gospel,     xiv.  17;  xv   12.     . 


131 

(3)  His  relation  to  Paul,  xviii.  21  ; 
xxii.  5-21  ;  xxiii.  I. 

(II.)     About  Jesus. 

(i)  His  Davidic  descent,     xiii.  23. 

(2)  Who  was  He  ? 

{a)  The   Son  of  God.     ix.  20. 
{d)   The   Christ,      ix.   22 ;  xvii. 
3  ;  xviii.  5. 

[c)   Lord.     xvi.  31  ;  XX.  35;  xxi. 

13- 

{(/)   Saviour,     xiii.  23. 

(3)  His  death  on  the  cross,      xiii. 
27-29  ;  xvii.  3  ;  xxvi.  23. 

(4)  His  Resurrection,     xiii.  30,  31, 
33-37  ;  xvii.  3,  31  ;  xxvi.  23. 

(III.)    About  the  Jews. 

xiii.  17-22;  xxii.  3;  xxiii.  6;  xxvi.  6, 
7  ;   xxviii.  20. 

(IV.)    The  Gospel. 

(1)  What  is  it?     xiii.  32,  33. 

(2)  For  whom  is  it  ?     xiii.  39,  47. 

(3)  Its  source,     xiii.  38,  39. 

(4)  Conditions. 

(a)  Faith,  xiii.  39,  41 ;  xvi.  31  ; 
xxvi.  18. 

{d)  Repentance,  xvi.  15;  xvii. 
30;  XX.  21. 

(5)  Its   essence,      xiii.   26,   38,   39  ; 
xiv.  15. 


132 


(v.)     Some  of  Paul's  doctrines. 


(I 
XX  vi 

(- 

(3 

(4 

(5 

(6 
xxiii 


Sin.     xiii.   lo,  11,38;    xxii.  16; 
18. 

Sanctification.     xx.  32. 
Consecration,     xx.  24;  xxi.  13. 
Giving,     xx.  35. 
A  coming  judgment,     xvii.  31. 

The   resurrection   of   the  dead. 
6;  xxiv.  15,  21  ;  xxiii.  8. 


(7)   Foreordination.     xiii.  48. 

(vi.)    Paul's  preaching. 

(i)  The  substance  of  it. 

(a)  The  word  of  God.  xiii.  44, 
49;  xvi.  32;  xvii.  ir.  What  was 
Paul's  attitude  toward  the  Old 
Testament  ? 

a.  He  believed  it.  xxiv. 
14;  xxvi.  22,  23;  xxviii.  23. 
Compare  Luke  xxiv.  25. 

b.  He  quoted  it.  What 
were  the  following  quota- 
tions.? xiii.  22,  33-35,  41  ; 
xxviii.  26,  27. 

{fi)  Christ,  ix.  20,  22  ;  xvii.  3  ; 
xviii.  5  ;  xxviii.  31. 

{c)    Comfort,     xiv.  22. 

{(/)  The  kingdom  of  God.  xix. 
8;  XX.  25;  xxviii.  23,  28. 

((f)   The  Gospel,      xx.   20,    21, 

27' 


(2)  The  spirit  of  it. 

Boldly,     ix.  29  ;  xix.  S. 
Confidently,     xxviii.  31. 
Unreservedly,     xx.  27. 
Sympathetically,     xx.  31. 
With  personal  testimony,    xiii. 
31  ;  xxvi.  16. 

d.   The  Epistles  of  Paul. 

In  an  exhaustive  course  those  Epistles 
of  Paul  which  were  written  during  the 
period  covered  by  Acts  should  be  taken 
up  here  and  studied  in  connection  with 
the  history.  The  following  were  written 
prior  to  the  close  of  the  Book  : 

(I.)  The  First  Epistle  to  the  Thessal- 
onians,  at  Corinth  in  52  or  53. 

(II.)     The  Second  Epistle  to  the  Thes- 
salonians  at   Corinth,  not  long  after  the 
■    First  Epistle. 

(III.)  The  First  Epistle  to  the  Corin- 
thians, written  at  Ephesus  toward  the  close 
of  his  long  stay  there. 

(IV.)  The  Second  Epistle  to  the  Corin- 
thians, written  on  his  third  missionary 
journey,  somewhere  in  Macedonia. 

(v.)  The  Epistle  to  the  Galatians,  writ- 
ten either  in  Ephesus  54-56,  or  in  Achaia, 
or  Macedonia  in  57  or  58. 

(VI.)  The  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  writ- 
ten at  Corinth  in  the  spring  of  5:9. 


134 

(VII.)  The  Epistle  to  the  Colossians, 
written  at  Rome  during  his  first  imprison- 
ment. 

(VIII.)  The  Epistle  to  Philemon,  written 
at  the  same  time  and  place. 

(IX.)  The  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  writ- 
ten at  the  same  time  and  place. 

(X.)  The  Epistle  to  the  Philippians,  writ- 
ten at  the  same  time  and  place. 


135 

XIX.     The  Teaching  of  the  Acts. 

Review  the  teachings  of  the  speeches  of  Peter  and 
Paul,  already  considered. 

T,       The  Creed. 

Take  each  article  of  the  Apostles'  Creed, 
and  find  proof  texts  for  it  in  the  Book. 

a.  I  believe,  ii.  44;  iv.  4 ;  viii.  12,  13;  ix. 
42;  X.  43;  xi.  17,  21;  xiii.  12,  39,  48;  xiv.  i, 
23;  XV.  5,  7,  II  ;  xvi.  31,  34.  Add  at  least  one 
from  each  other  chapter  if  possible. 

b.  In  God,  the  Father  almighty,  maker  of 
Heaven  and  earth,  iv.  24;  xiv.  15-17;  xvii. 
24,  25. 

c.  And  in  Jesus  Christ,  ii.  36;  iii.  20;  x. 
36 ;  xvii.  3  ;  xviii.  5,  28. 

d.  His  only  Son.     iii.  13;  ix.  20 ;  xiii.  -t^t^. 

e.  Our  Lord.  i.  21  ;  ii.  36;  iv.  33;  vii.  59; 
viii.  16;  ix.  5,  17,  29;  X.  36,  48;  xi.  20;  xix.  5, 
10,  13,  17  ;  XX.  24,  35;  xxi.  13.  Where  are  the 
expressions,  "The  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  "Our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  used  ? 

f.  Who  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
born  of  the  Virgin  Mary.     i.  14. 

g.  Suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate,  ii.  13,  23; 
iv.  27  ;  xiii.  28. 

h.  Was  crucified,  ii.  23,  36;  iii.  15;  iv.  10; 
V.  30;  vii.  52  ;  X.  39;  xiii.  28,  29. 

/.    Dead  and  buried,     ii.  24  ;  xiii.  29. 
j.    He  descended  into  Hell.     ii.  31  ;  xiii.  34. 


136 

/'.  The  third  day  He  rose  again  from  the 
dead,  i.  22;  ii.  24;  ii.  32;  iii.  15;  iv.  10;  v. 
31  ;  xiii.  30;  xvii.  3,  31;  xxvi.  23.  Find  the 
single  verse  which  asserts  that  it  was  the  third 
day. 

/.    He  ascended  into  Heaven,     i.  11,  22. 

m.  And  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God, 
the  Father  Almighty,  ii.  25,  '^t^\  v.  31;  vii. 
55'  56- 

n.  From  thence  He  shall  come  to  judge  the 
quick  and  the  dead.  i.  1 1  ;  iii.  20,  21  ;  x.  42; 
xvii.  31. 

o.    I  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

(I.)      Promises,     i.  4,  5;  ii.  16-1S. 

(II.)     The   promises   fulfilled.      ii.    1-4. 
And  subsequently  — 

(i)   At  Jerusalem,     iv.  31. 

(2)  In  Samaria,     viii.  15-17. 

(3)  In  Ccesarea.     x.  44,  45. 

(III.)   His  work. 

(i)   In  relation   to  Jesus.      i.   2;   ii. 

zz ;  •^-  38- 

(2)  In   relation  to  the  Old    Testa- 
ment Scriptures,     i.  16;  xxviii.  25. 

(3)  In  relation  to  the  Church. 

{a)   Empowered,      i.  8 ;  iv.   T^y 
{h)   Emboldened,     iv.  13. 
{c)   Comforted,     ix.  31. 
{d)   Witnessed  with  their  testi- 
mony,    v.  32  ;  vii.  51. 
(6')    Guided. 


^37 

a.  Positively,  viii.  29,  39 
X.  19;  xi.  12;  xiii.  2,  4;  XV 
28  ;  XX.  28. 

b.  Negatively,      xvi.  6,  7 
{/)  Filled.      vi.   3,    5 ;   xiii.   9 

This  fullness  always  manifested 
itself,  ii.  2;  iv.  8,  13;  vii.  55; 
ix.  17,  18  ;  xi.  24  ;  xiii.  52. 

{g)  In  a  sense,  the  Holy  Ghost 
was  identified  with  the  Church. 
V.  3 ;  XV.  28  ;  XX.  28. 

{/i)  At  any  rate,  He  gave  the 
power  of  tongues  and  of  proph- 
ecy, ii.  4;  X.  46 ;  xi.  28;  xix.  6; 
XX.  23  ;  xxi.  1 1. 

(IV.)      How  to  get  the  Holy  Ghost. 

(i)   A  gift.     ii.  38;  x.  45;  XV.  8. 

(2)  Cannot  be  bought,     viii.  18-24. 

{3)  Conditions  of  obtaining. 
(<?)   Repentance,     ii.  38. 
{/>)   Obedience,     v.  32. 
{c)    Prayer  and  unity,     i.  14;  ii. 
i;  iv.  31. 

/>•    The   Holy  Catholic  Church,     ii.  39,  47 ; 
XX.  28. 

(I.)  Meaning  of  the  word  church.  The 
Greek  word  eKKXifjaia  in  its  primary  and 
civil  sense  means  any  assembly  called  to- 
gether for  any  purpose ;  e.^-.,  xix.  32.  In  its 
appropriated  and  religious  sense  it  means 
a  society  of  Christians.     The  New  Testa- 


138 

ment  applies  it  to  any  society  of  Chris- 
tians, large  or  small.  Col.  iv.  15;  Acts  xi. 
22;  vii.  38;  Heb.  ii.  12;  I.  Cor.  xii.  28; 
Eph.  V.  25;  Acts  ix.  31.  (Revised  Ver- 
sion.) Notice  the  different  sizes  of  the 
society  in  these  passages. 

(II.)  The  principles  governing  the  Apos- 
tolic Church. 

The  Church  is  a  kingdom.  John  xviii. 
36.  Every  kingdom  has  a  king,  subjects, 
and  lavv^s ;  also,  officers  subordinate  to  the 
king.     Heb.  xiii.  17. 

(i)   What  officers  were  there  in  the 
Apostolic  Church .'' 

(a)  Apostles,     i.  2. 

Choosing  an  Apostle,  i. 
13-26. 

(/')  Evangelists.       xxi.    8;     II. 
Tim.  iv.  5. 

{c)  Elders    and    Bishops,      xx. 

17- 

Choosing    an    Elder,  xiv. 

2;^.  The  Greek  literally 
means,  "and  when  they  had 
elected  Elders  in  every  church 
by  a  show  of  hands." 

The  office  of  Bishop  was 
identical  with  that  of  Elder 
or  Presbyter. 

((/)  Deacons,    vi.  1-6;  Phil.,i.  i. 


139 

(2)  Now     what     principles      were 
observed  ? 

Let  the  student  determine  for 
himself  from  a  study  of  the  Acts 
alone  what  was  the  form  of  gov- 
ernment of  the  early  Church. 

q.  The  communion  of  saints,  ii.  44-47  ;  iv. 
34-35;  vi.  i;  XX.  35. 

r.  The  forgiveness  of  sins.  ii.  38;  v.  31  ; 
xiii.  38;  xxvi.  18;  x.  43. 

s.  The  resurrection  of  the  body.  iv.  2 ; 
xxiv.  15. 

/.  And  the  life  everlasting,  v.  20;  xi.  18; 
xiii.  46,  48. 

2.  About  Pj'ayer. 

i.  14,  24;  ii.  47  ;  iv.  24-30  ;  vi.  6;  vii.  59,  60; 
viii.  22-24;  ix.  40;  X.  2,  9;  xii.  5,  12,  13;  xiii.  3; 
xiv.  23;  XV.  40;  xvi.  13,  16,  25;  XX.  36 ;  xxi.  5; 
xxii.  17;  xxviii.  8.  Regarding  each  prayer, 
notice  who  prayed,  for  what,  where,  and  when, 
the  substance  of  the  prayer  and  the  spirit  of  it, 
with  what  result,  in  whose  name,  and  in  what 
circumstances  of  special  interest. 

3.  About  Baptism. 

a.  The  two  baptisms  contrasted,     xix.  2-6. 

b.  Who  are  to  be  baptized,  ii.  t^^,  41  ;  viii. 
12;  X.  47;  xvi.  15,  ;i^i^\  xviii.  8;  xxii.  16. 

c.  Manner,     i.  5  ;  viii.  38  ;  x.  48. 


140 

4-      About  t/ie  "■  IVord:' 

a.  The  doctrine  concerning  the  attainment 
through  Christ  of  salvation  in  the  Kingdom  of 
God.  ii.  41;  iv.  4,  29;  vi.  /\;  viii.  4;  x.  44; 
xi.  19;  xiv.  25;  xvi.  6;  xvii.  11. 

b.  "  The  word  of  God,"  the  substance  of  all 
their  preaching,  iv.  31  ;  vi.  2,  7  ;  x.  36  (see 
Westcott  &  Hort's  Greek  Testament) ;  xi.  i ; 
xii.  24;  xiii.  5,  7,  44,  46;  xvii.  13;  xviii.  i  ;  xix. 

20. 

c.  "The  word  of  the  Lord."  viii.  25;  xiii 
48,49;  XV.  35,  36;  xvi.  32. 

d.  The  "  word  "  in  other  connections,  xiii. 
26;  xiv.  3;  XV.  7;  xix.  10;  XX.  32,  35. 

5.  Old   Testament  pi'ophecies  wJiich  were  fulfilled. 

i.  16,  20;  ii.  17-21,  25-28,  30,  31,  34,  35,  39; 
iii.  22,  25,  26;  iv.  ri,  25,  26;  viii.  32,  t^t^;  xiii. 
ZZ^  34»  36,  41,  47»  49;  XV.  16;  xxviii.  26,  27. 
Add  any  others,  and  compare  the  quotation 
with  the  original  passage. 

6.  Heathen  7-eligioiis  beliefs. 

xiv.  11-18;  xvii.  18,  23;  xix.  24-29;  xxviii. 
4-6,  IT. 

7.  The  student  can  find  many  interesting  themes 
for  special  study  in  the  Book.  The  two  fol- 
lowing will  serve  as  illustrations  merely. 

a.  The  communism  of  the  early  church,  ii. 
44»  45  ;  iv.  32-35. 


141 

(I.)     Cause. 

(i)  Did  the  hope  of  His  coming 
have  any  influence  ?     i.  1 1. 

(2)  In  answer  to  Christ's  prayer. 
John  xvii.  21  ;  Psa.  cxxxiii.  i. 

(II.)    Limitation. 

There  was  a  common  fund,  just  as 
there  had  been    with   Christ.      Luke 
viii.  3;    John  xii.  6;  xiii.   29.     There 
was  no  community  of  goods  as  touch- 
ing the  right  or  title  to  full  possession 
of  the  same.     Compare  Peter's  words 
to  Ananias,     v.  4.     There  was  scope 
also  for  such  alms-deeds  as  those  of 
Dorcas,    ix.  36.    Mark's  mother  owned 
a  house  (xii.  12),  and  Mnason  had  pri- 
vate lodgings  (xxi.  t6).     Compare  also 
L  Cor.  xvi.  2;   I.  John  iii.  17;  Rom. 
XV.  21.     There  was  no  denial  there- 
fore of  the  right  of  private  property. 
This  communism  was  only  a  unity  of 
spirit  manifesting  itself  in  a  unity  of 
life. 
(III.)  Plato's  Republic  and  More's  Utopia 
place  this  among  their  regulations.     Such 
love,  Christ  had  foretold,  would  be  a  mark 
of  His  disciples.     John  xiii.  35.      Such   a 
social  condition  requires  perfection  of  un- 
selfishness in  the  social  unit. 

(IV.)  This  common  life  was  not  without 
its  effect,  iv.  2i3  finds  its  explanation  in 
iv.  34.     See  the  Greek.     John  xvii.  23. 


142 

b.    Burials  in  the  Acts. 

(I.)      Ananias,     v.  i-io. 

(i)  By  whom?  The  young  men. 
Were  they  anticipations  of  the  dea- 
cons, or  were  they  just  servants, 
chosen  from  the  young  because  of 
their  strength  ?  Luke  xxii.  26.  It  was 
not  an  office,  because  they  are  called 
by  different  names  in  the  sixth  and 
tenth  verses.     See  Greek. 

(2)  How? 

\a)  Wound  it  up.  There  were 
no  coffins  in  the  east.  The  limbs 
were  just  wrapped  in  a  body  cloth. 
Luke  xxiii.  65.     John  xx.  5-7. 

(/')  Carried  it  out,  beyond  the 
walls  of  the  city. 

(3)  When  ?     At  once. 

{a)  Graves  were  always  ready. 
Compare  Joseph's  tomb  in  which 
Christ  was  laid.  They  were  merely 
caves  with  stones  over  the  en- 
trance.    John  xi.  43  ;  Luke  xxiv. 

2,3- 

{/'')  It  was  a  hot  climate,  and 
decomposition  was  speedy.  Thus 
Lazarus  was  buried  on  the  day  of 
his  death.  John  xi.  17,  39.  Com- 
pare II.  Kings  ix.  34. 

{c)  Contact  with  a  corpse  was 
defiling.     Sepulchres  were  white- 


143 

washed  to  warn  people  off.    Num. 
xix.  11-16;  Deut  xxi.  23. 

(ii.)     Stephen,     viii.  2. 

(i)  Bywhom.''  Devout  men, —  Jews. 
Luke  ii.  25;  Acts  ii.  5;  xxii.  12. 

(2)  "Carried  him."  Word  includes 
the  whole  rite,  with  all  preparations 
for  burial. 

The  Ashkenazic  prayer  books 
say,  "  These  are  the  works  of 
which  a  man  reaps  the  interest 
in  this  world,  and  the  capital  en- 
dures in  the  world  to  come  :  the 
honoring  of  the  father  and  mother, 
the  doing  of  acts  of  mercy,  the 
bearing  forth  the  dead,  the  recon- 
ciliation of  a  man  to  his  neigh- 
bor ;  but  the  study  of  the  Torah 
is  above  them  all."  Gen.  xxiii. 
2;  1.  9,  10;  Mark  xvi.  10. 


144 
XX.     Analysis  of  the  Acts. 

1 .  Introduction. 

Dedication,     i.  i. 

Post-Resurrection    history  of   our   Lord.     i. 

2-1 1. 

Choice  of  Matthias,     i.  12-26. 

2.  Founding  of  the  CJiw'ch  at  Jerusalem.       ii.— vii. 

a.  Pentecost,     ii.  1-40. 

The  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  ii.  1-13. 

Peter's  sermon,     ii.  14-36. 

The  results,     ii.  37-41. 

Social  relations  of  the  converts,  ii.  42-47. 

b.  The  first  miracle,     iii. 

The  scene,     iii.  i-r  i. 

Peter's  second  sermon,     iii.  12-26. 

c.  The  first  opposition,     iv.  1-33. 

The  motive,     iv.  1-4. 
The  council,     iv.  5. 
Peter's  words,     iv.  8-12. 
The  issue,     iv.  13-33. 

The  threatening,     iv.  13-22. 

The  prayers,     iv.  23-32. 

d.  Social  relations  emerge  again,  iv.  34-v.  11. 

The  sincere,     iv.  34-37. 
The  insincere,     v.  i-ii. 

c.    Progress,     v.  12-42. 

(I.)     In  belief,     v.  12-16. 


145 

(II.)   In  opposition,     v.  17-42. 

First  imprisonment,     v.  17-18. 
First  deliverance,     v.  19-25. 
The  second  council,     v.  26-42. 

The  reproof,     v.  26-28. 

Peter's  fourth  speech,    v.  29-32. 

Gamaliel,     v.  33-39. 

Discharged,     v.  40-42. 

/.    Deacons  chosen,     vi.-vii.  60. 

The    choice.      The   men.      Their  work, 
vi.  I  -7. 

Stephen,     vi.  8  -  vii.  60. 
Invincible,     vi.  8-10. 
The  trial,     vi.  i  i-vii.  i. 
The  speech,     vii.  2-53. 
His  death,     vii.  54-60. 

g.    The  Church  spreading  as  a  result,  viii.  i  -4. 

The  Church  wihiessiiig  in  /iidea  and  Samaria. 
viii.  5-9. 

a.    Philip  preaching,     viii.  5-40. 

Pentecost  in  Samaria,     viii.  5-17- 

Simon,     viii.  18-25. 

The  Eunuch,     viii.  26-40. 

If.    Saul  persecuting,     ix.   1-32. 

To  Damascus,     ix.  1-2. 
Persecutor  converted,     ix.  3-18. 
And  turns  propagator,     ix.  19-31. 

c.    Peter  healing,     ix.  32-43. 

Ananias,     ix.  32-35. 
Dorcas,     ix.  36-43. 


146 

The  Chu7'ch  going  forth  to  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  earth,     x-xxviii. 

a.  The  calling  of  the  Gentiles,     x.-xi.  18. 

A  double  conversion. 

Cornelius,     x.  1-6,  21-44. 

Peter,     x.  7-44. 
The  Gentile  Pentecost,     x.  44-48. 
Peter's  defence  of  his  course,     xi.  1-18. 

b.  The  choice  of  the  Gentile  centre,  xi.  19-30. 

The  Antioch  revival,     xi.  19-21. 
Through  Barnabas,     xi.  22-30. 

Sent.     xi.  22-24. 

Chooses  the  great  missionary,  xi.  25. 

Selects  Antioch.     xi.  26. 

Visits  Jerusalem  with  Paul.  xi.  27-30. 

c.  Afflictions  and  deliverances,     xii. 

Death  of  James,     xii.  1-2. 

Peter's  imprisonment  and   release,     xii. 

3-'9- 

Fate  of  the  oppressor,     xii.  20-23. 
The  result :  growth  as  usual,     xii.  24. 

d.  The  foreign  field  occupied,     xiii.-xxviii. 

(I.)     The  first  journey,     xiii.-xiv. 

The  missionaries   chosen,     xii.  25- 
.      xiii.  3. 

The  route,     xiii.  4-xiv.  26. 
Home  and  rest.     xiv.  27,  28. 

(11.)     The    great    missionary    problem. 
XV.  I -3 1. 


147 

Origin  of  the  dissension,     xv.  i. 
The  settlement,     xv.  2-31. 

Visit  to  Jerusalem,     xv.  2,  3. 
Statement  of  trouble,     xv.  4,  5. 
The  council,     xv.  6. 
Peter,     xv.  7-1 1. 
Barnabas  and  Paul.  xv.  12. 
James,     xv.  13-21. 
The  decision,     xv.  22-29. 
Satisfaction,     xv.  30,  31. 

(III.)     The    second    journey.      xv.    34- 
xviii.  22. 

The    inception    and     trouble,     xv. 

34-39- 

The  missionaries,     xv.  39,  40. 
The  route,     xv.  41-xviii.  22. 

(IV.)     The  third  journey,     xviii.  23-xxi. 
18. 

Antioch  to  Ephesus.  xviii.  23-xix.  i. 
In  Ephesus.     xix. 
Ephesus  to  Corinth,     xx.  1-2. 
Ministry  in  Achaia.     xx.  3. 
Corinth  to  Jerusalem,  xx.  3-xxi.  16. 

(V.)       Last  stay  at  Jerusalem,     xxi.  18- 
xxiii.  35. 

The .  council   of   elders  and    Paul's 
vow.     xxi.  18-26. 

Antagonism  of  the  Jews.     xxi.  27- 

32. 

Arrest,     xxi.  33-40. 

.Address  to  the  Jews.     xxii.  i- 
21. 


148 

Effect  of  the  address,    xxii.  22, 

23- 
Imprisonment,     xxii.  24-29. 

Before  the  Jews  again,     xxii.  30  - 

xxiii.  ID. 

Remanded  to  prison,     xxiii.  11-22. 

(VI.)    Sent  to  Caesarea.     xxiii.  23- xxvi. 
Letter  and  envoy,     xxiii.  23-35. 
First  hearing,     xxiv.  1-22. 
Second  hearing,     xxiv.  23-27. 
Paul  and  Festus.     xxv. 
Before  Agrippa.     xxv.  23  -  xxvi. 

(VII.)  To  Rome,     xxvii.  -  xxviii. 

The  voyage,     xxvii. -xxviii.  10. 
The  city,     xxviii.  17-51- 


149 
XXI.     Some  Other  Phases  of  the  Book. 

1.  A  Book  of  beginnitigs. 

a.  First  Apostolic  conference,     i.  1 5. 

b.  First  church  prayer  meeting,  i.  14;  ii. 
I ;  xii.  12. 

c.  First  religious  suicide  of  the  new  dispen- 
sation,    i.  19. 

d.  First  Apostolic  sermon,     ii. 

e.  First  Apostolic  miracle,     iii.  i-ii. 

f.  First  ecclesiastical  organization,     vi. 

g.  First  imprisonment,     v.  18. 
//.    First  martyr,     vii. 

/.  First  persecution,     viii.  1-4;  xi.  19. 

J.  First  Gentile  convert,     viii.  -  x. 

/'.  First  missionaries,     viii .-  xiii. 

/.  First  heresy,     viii.  18-24. 

VI.  First  European  church,     xvi.  12. 

The  Acts  is  a  Book  of  startings,  of  inceptive- 
ness,  of  setting  things  going. 

2.  A  viissionary  Book. 

The  student  will  already  have  noticed  many 
missionary  problems  upon  which  light  has  been 
thrown.  Let  him  note  the  following  methods 
of  work  : 

a.  Personal  effort,  viii.  26-40 ;  x. ;  xiii.  7  ; 
xviii.  24-28;  xxviii.  16. 


150 

b.  Co-operation. 

(I.)  Between  churches,  viii.  5-17 ;  xi. 
19-22;  XV.  1-31,  32. 

(II.)  Between  individuals.  Notice  how 
frequently  the  work  was  done  by  "twos." 
Compare  Luke  x.  i  ;  Acts  iii.  i  ;  viii.  14; 
ix.  38;  x.  7  ;  xi.  12;  xi.  25,  30;  xii.  6,  255 
xiii.  I,  2;  XV.  32,  40;  xvi.  1-4;  xvii.  15; 
xix.  22  ;  XX.  4  ;  xxiii.  23 ;  xxvii.  2. 

c.  Reaching  men  by  the  living  voice. 

There  is  only  one  Christian  letter  in  the 
book.  Emphasized  the  "  word,"  the  spoken 
word.  The  disciples  preached  Christ.  No- 
tice the  use  of  the  human  voice,  viii.  26- 
40  ;  xiii.  6-11  ;  xx.  17-38;  xxii. 

Their  preaching  was  not  the  delivery  of 
sermons,  but  living  teaching,  v.  42 ;  xv. 
35;  xvii.  1-3,  17;  xviii.  i-ii  ;  xix.  i-io; 
xxviii.  30,  31.  Compare  also  Acts  xiii.  i  ; 
I.  Cor.  xii.  28,  29;  Eph.  iv.  11  ;  Rom.  xii. 
7  ;  Col.  i.  28  ;  iii.  16. 

d.  The  use  of  the  Scriptures. 

Evidenced  by  the  use  of  prophecy. 
They  found  among  the  Jews  an  open  av- 
enue for  appeal  here.    xiii.  27  ;  xv.  21. 

e.  Conformed  to  the  customs  of  the  people 
among  whom  they  worked,     xvi.  3. 

Yet  this  did  not  prevent  them  from 
being  perfectly  faithful  in  their  preach- 
ing,    xvi.  21.      This  was  a  false  charge, 


made  because  the  hope  of  gain  was  gone, 
but   it   shows  how  unflinching  these  dis-    . 
ciples  were  in  their  proclamation  of  the 
new  truths. 

This  desire  not  to  rouse  antagonism 
which  would  prevent  the  Gospel  from 
having  a  fair  hearing,  is  seen  in  the  adap- 
tation of  the  Gospel  to  the  peculiar  preju- 
dices and  modes  of  thinking  of  the  people 
addressed,  xiii.  15-48;  xiv.  15-17;  xvii. 
18-32;  xxii.  I -2 1. 

/.    They    trained    native    workers,      xiii.    i  ; 
xiv.  23 ;  XX.  17. 

It  is  evident  that  the  missionaries  exer- 
cised careful  oversight  over  the  churches. 
XV.  36.     What  were  the  Epistles  ? 

g.   They  aimed  at  great  cities  : 

Jerusalem,  Antioch,  Corinth,  Rome.  xix. 
21. 

Some  sigjiificant  lessons  from  the  Book. 

a.  Judicious  and  honorable  compromise  in 
religion. 

(I.)       ii.  46;  iii.  I. 
(II.)     xi.  18  ;  xxi.  20. 
(III.)  xvi.  3. 

b.  Generosity  and  charity. 

(I.)  The  instinct  and  habit  of  giving  to 
the  poor  and  oppressed,  ii.  45;  iv.  37  ;  x. 
29,  30;  xxiv.  17. 


152 

(II.)    The  unselfish   spirit   of   the   new 

Christians,  xix.    19;   xx.   35.      Notice  it 

displayed  in  the  history  of  Barnabas  and 
Paul. 

(III.)  Even  the  heathen  are  represented 
as  gracious  and  kind.  x.  2;  xxiv.  23;  xxiii. 
20-22;  xxvii.  3,  43;  xxviii.  2,  7,  10. 

(IV.)  The  inner  life  of  the  Church 
began  to  realize  at  least  a  little  the  idea 
which  Christ  had  for  it.  "  They  love  each 
other  without  knowing  each  other,"  said 
a  pagan  in  amazement.  The  heathen 
proverb  had  been,  "  man  is  a  wolf  to  a  man 
he  does  not  know."  Christ's  message  was, 
*'  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself," 
and  his  definition  of  neighbor  was  not 
narrow. 

Tertullian  declared,  in  vindication  of 
the  Church :  "  Our  compassion  gives 
more  in  the  streets  than  your  religion  in 
the  temple."  And  when,  after  the  martyr- 
dom of  Bishop  Sixtus,  his  deacon  was 
required  to  point  out  and  surrender  the 
treasures  of  the  Church,  he  called  all  its 
poor  together  and  showed  them  to  the 
prefect  of  the  city  with  these  words : 
"These  are  the  treasures  of  the  Church." 

c.  The  necessity  and  glory  of  single  eyed 
unceasing  devotion,  iv.  13,  19-20;  v.  29,  41— 
42;ix.  29;  xx.  22-25;  xxi.  13  ;  xxvii.  23.  These 
early  Christians  had  their  eyes  upon  Christ 


153 

"  We  would  see  Jesus  —  for  the  shadows  lengthen 
Across  this  little  landscape  of  our  life  ; 
We  would  see  Jesus,  our  weak  faith  to  strengthen 
For  the  last  weariness,  the  final  strife. 

We  would  see  Jesus,  the  great  rock  foundation 
Whereon  our  feet  are  set  by  sovereign  grace  ; 
Nor  life,  nor  death,  with  all  their  agitation. 
Can  thence  remove  us,  if  we  see  his  face." 

d.  Unity  of  doctrine  in  essentials,  xiii.  38, 
39;  XV.  9-1 1. 

The  Book  of  Acts  shows  us  the  Gospel  just 
taking  hold  of  the  world,  the  new  ideas  just 
beginning  to  sway  and  to  mould  the  thoughts 
and  the  lives  of  men.  The  fullness  of  time  had 
come.  Men  were  ready  for  a  revelation. 
Plato's  words  had  indicated  a  dim  longing  for 
it:  "  We  must  lay  hold  of  the  best  human 
opinion  in  order  that,  borne  by  it  as  on  a  raft, 
we  may  sail  over  the  dangerous  sea  of  life, 
unless  we  can  find  a  stronger  boat  or  some 
word  of  God  which  will  more  surely  and  safely 
carry  us."  The  ideas  which  the  new  message 
contained  were  new  to  the  world,  but  they 
came  from  and  were  filled  with  divine  power. 
Read  Uhlhorn's  Conflict  of  Christianity  with 
Heathenism. 

a.  The  Gospel  taught  a  complete  regeneration 
of  life,  even  of  the  lowest  and  meanest  life,  by 
the  grace  of  God,  through  the  life  blood  of  His 
Son.  Contrast  with  this,  as  certain  aspects  of 
it  are  presented  in  Phil.  ii.  i-ii,  such  words  as 
Seneca's:  "  Give  your  whole  mind  to  philosophy, 
be  absorbed  in  it,  cultivate  it,  and  you  will  far 


154 

surpass  all  other  men  and  be  little  inferior  to 
the  gods."  "Admire  only  thyself."  Or  those  of 
Celsus  :  "  Let  us  hear  what  kind  of  persons 
these  Christians  invite.  Everyone  they  say 
who  is  a  sinner,  who  is  devoid  of  understand- 
ing, who  is  a  child,  him  will  the  kingdom  of 
God  receive.  They  assert  that  God  will  receive 
the  sinner  if  he  humble  himself  on  account  of 
his  wickedness,  but  that  He  will  not  receive  a 
righteous  man,  although  he  look  up  to  him 
with  virtue  from  the  beginning.  It  is  manifest 
to  everybody  that  no  one  by  punishment,  much 
less  by  showing  mercy,  could  wholly  change 
those  who  are  sinners  both  by  nature  and 
custom." 

b.  The  Gospel  taught  the  unity  of  mankind 
and  the  organization  of  the  entire  race  in 
nations,  xvii.  22-32.  Any  true  conception  of 
humanity  is  the  product  of  Christianity,  and 
this  strictly  Christian  conception  has  been  the 
condition  of  all  large  progress. 

c.  The  Gospel  taught  the  dignity  of  labor- 
Paul,  Aquila,  and  Priscilla  wrought  at  their 
trade  with  their  own  hands.  The  spokesman  of 
the  Apostles  and  the  disciple  of  tenderest  love 
had  both  been  fishermen.  Contrast  with  this 
the  heathen  notion.  Plato  deemed  it  right  to 
despise  men  whose  employment  did  not  permit 
them  to  devote  themselves  to  their  friends  and 
to  the  state.  According  to  Aristotle,  all  forms 
of  labor  which  required  physical  strength  were 
degrading    to    a    freeman.       Cicero    says:   "A 


155 

mechanic's  occupation  is  degrading.  A  work- 
shop is  incompatible  with  anything  noble." 
Yet  our  Lord  Himself  was  a  carpenter's  son. 
The  Book  of  Acts  breathes  the  hearty  spirit  of 
honest  toil. 

d.  Plato  represents  a  state  as  wholly  disor- 
ganized where  slaves  are  disobedient  to  their 
masters  and  wives  are  on  an  equality  with  their 
husbands.  Aristotle  characterizes  women  as 
beings  of  a  lower  kind.  Socrates  asks  one  of 
his  friends,  "  Is  there  a  human  being  with 
whom  you  talk  less  than  with  your  wife  .'* " 
The  Gospel  brought  no  such  message.  It  had  a 
word  of  joyful  emancipation  for  tvoman.  It 
made  her  free  from  servitude,  that  she  might  the 
more  freely  serve.  So  Libanius  exclaimed, 
"  What  women  there  are  among  these  Chris- 
tians!" Read  the  Book  of  Acts  through  and 
observe  in  it  the  place  assigned  to  women. 

e.  The  Gospel  made  no  terms  with  impurity. 
It  demanded  unqualified  uprightness  of  life. 
The  heathen  world  scarcely  knew  such  a  thing. 
Seneca  wrote:  "  All  things  are  full  of  iniquity 
and  vice.  More  crimes  are  committed  than  can 
be  remedied  by  force.  A  monstrous  contest  of 
wickedness  is  carried  on.  Daily  the  lust  of  sin 
increases ;  daily  the  sense  of  shame  diminishes. 
Casting  away  regard  for  what  is  good  and 
honorable,  pleasure  runs  riot  without  restraint. 
Vice  no  longer  hides  itself.  It  stalks  before 
all  eyes.  So  public  has  iniquity  become,  so 
mighty   does   it   flame  up  in  all   hearts,   that 


■56 

innocence  is  no  longer  rare,   it  has  ceased  to 
exist." 

Lucian  wrote  later :  "  If  any  one  loves  wealth 
and  is  dazed  by  gold ;  if  any  one  measures 
happiness  by  purple  and  power ;  if  any  one, 
brought  up  among  flatterers  and  slaves,  has 
never  had  a  conception  of  liberty,  frankness, 
and  truth  ;  if  any  one  has  wholly  surrendered 
himself  to  pleasures,  full  tables,  carousals, 
lewdness,  sorcery,  falsehood,  and  deceit, —  let 
him  go  to  Rome."  And  Livy  wrote,  more 
soberly  :  "  Rome  has  become  great  by  her  vir- 
tues till  now,  when  we  can  bear  neither  her 
vices  nor  their  remedies."  Compare  with  this 
Matt.  V.  48,  I.  John  iii.  3,  Titus  ii.  12,  and  the 
spirit  of  absolute  innocence  and  childlike  purity 
which  marks  the  Christian  life  in  the  Acts. 

f.  When  Stephen  died,  he  "  fell  asleep." 
Paul  had  no  fear  as  he  looked  forward  to 
the  end.  He  was  ready,  not  only  to  be  bound, 
but  also  to  die  for  his  Lord  Jesus.  It  meant 
only  a  meeting  with  Him  whom  his  soul  loved. 
The  Gospel  was  a  message  of  hope  for  dying 
men.  Heathenism  was  hopeless.  Witness  the 
inscriptions  on  its  sepulchres :  "  To  eternal 
sleep."  "  To  eternal  rest."  "  I  was  not,  and 
became.  I  was,  and  am  no  more.  This  much 
is  true,  whoever  says  otherwise  does  not  speak 
the  truth,  for  I  shall  not  be."  "  So  long  as  I 
lived,  I  gladly  drank.  Drink  ye  who  live," 
on  the  tomb  of  a  veteran  of  the  fifth  legion. 
"  Eat,  drink,  make  merry,  come."     And  Pliny 


57 


declared :  "  What  folly  is  it  to  renew  life  after 
death  !  Where  shall  created  beings  find  rest, 
if  you  suppose  that  shades  in  hell  and  souls  in 
heaven  continue  to  have  any  feeling.  You  rob 
us  of  man's  greatest  good  —  death.  Let  us 
rather  find  in  the  tranquillity  which  precedes 
our  existence,  the  pledge  of  the  repose  which 
is  to  follow  it."  The  Book  of  Acts  speaks 
with  a  glad  confidence  of  the  world  to  come. 

^^.  But  the  Gospel  was  a  message,  not  alone 
of  hope  in  death,  but  of  joy  in  life.  The 
Greek  word  x'^P'^  occurs  in  Acts  seventeen 
times,  and  the  verb  x°-9'^^^l^°-^  three  times.  See 
ii.  26,  46;  v.  41 ;  vii.  41  ;  viii.  8,  39;  xi.  23;  xii. 
14;  xiii.  48  ;  XV.  3 ;  xvi.  34;  xiv.  17;  xiii.  52  ; 
XV.  31  ;  XX.  24.  The  life  of  the  early  converts 
was  one  of  endless,  joyous  song.  It  was  not  so 
with  heathenism.  Sophocles  wrote  in  CEdiptis 
at  Colomis  — 

"  Happiest  beyond  compare 
Never  to  taste  of  life  : 
Happiest  in  order  next, 
Being  born,  with  quickest  speed 
Thither  again  to  return 
From  whence  we  came." 

Seneca  wrote :  "  The  aim  of  all  philosophy 
is  to  despise  life.  Seest  thou  yon  height  .-^ 
Thence  is  the  descent  to  freedom.  Seest  thou 
yon  sea,  yon  river,  yon  well }  Freedom  sits 
there  in  the  depth.  Seest  thou  yon  low  with- 
ered tree.''  There  freedom  hangs.  Seest  thou 
thy  neck,  thy  throat,  thy  heart .-'  They  are 
ways  of  escape  from  bondage." 


158 

Heathenism's  only  word  was,  "  Patet  exitus," 
—  the  way  out  of  life  lies  open. 

//.  Heathenism  was  often  agnostic.  The 
Christianity  of  the  Acts  was  nothing  if  it  was 
not  certain.  It  came  with  a  clear  claim  of 
assured  truth.  This  was  what  angered 
Caecilius.  He  declares  that  one  can  know 
nothing  with  certainty.  "  Human  mediocrity 
is  so  inadequate  to  the  exploration  of  things 
divine,  that  it  is  not  granted  us  to  know,  nor 
is  it  permitted  to  search,  nor  is  it  just  to 
force,  the  things  v/hich  are  upheld  suspended 
in  the  heavens  above  us,  nor  those  which  are 
sunk  deep  in  subterranean  abysses."  Compare 
I.  Tim.  i.  12  ;  Phil.  i.  6;  Acts  ii.  36. 

/.  Get  a  firm  grasp  on  the  beliefs  of  the  men 
of  those  days,  about  man,  about  life,  about 
the  world,  and  about  God.  Feel  the  influence 
of  them  on  your  individual  spirit.  Perceive  them 
as  moulding,  world-swaying  forces.  Count  not 
your  life  dear  to  yourself,  so  that  you  may  fin- 
ish your  course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry  you 
have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  testify  the 
Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God.  And  do  not 
narrowly  think  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is 
national,  or  sectional,  or  racial ;  but  believe 
that  it  is  what  Christ  said  it  was  and  the 
early  Church  believed  it  to  be.  Men  who 
have  learned  the  lessons  of  those  early  days 
are  needed  in  these  days.  Let  the  student  be 
numbered  among  them,  and  take  to  himself 
whatever    is    true   in    John    Milton's   words : 


159 

"  Every  true  and  free-born  spirit  feels  that 
he  is  a  born  leader,  and  does  not  need  either 
the  gilt  spear  or  the  laying  of  the  sword  upon 
his  shoulder  to  send  him  forth  as  a  knight  to 
rescue  all  that  is  innocent  and  oppressed." 


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